Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Immigration Rights March Draws Thousands

Protests against proposed changes to immigration law take place in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, and other cities across the country. A march to the National Mall is expected to be among the largest.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in cities across the country today for "La Marcha," otherwise known as the National Day of Action for Immigrant Justice.

Michele Norris spoke with some of the demonstrators as they boarded buses in Maryland heading to Washington.

Edison Rotas, a 33-year-old painter from Ecuador, said he is working toward U.S. citizenship. Saying that he supports others who have the same goal, Rotas carried an Ecuadorian and an American flag. While one represented his roots, he said, the U.S. flag is "to represent that we want to be American."

Legislation revamping the nation's immigration laws stalled on Capitol Hill last week, but that did little to slow the momentum of a grass-roots movement that has grown in recent weeks.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Michele Norris