'Don't mourn, organise!'

Demonstrators take stand against illegal immigration bill to be passed in Georgia

ATLANTA, United States (AP):

Jose-David and Lourdes Resendiz have lived in Georgia for 14 years, but with the governor likely to sign a bill passed by the Legislature that aims to crack down on illegal immigration, they're packing up their things and preparing to leave.

They were among a crowd at a May Day rally yesterday at the Georgia Capitol that police estimated at about 1,000. Chanting in Spanish and English, waving signs and cheering heartily for each speaker, they urged Georgia Governor Nathan Deal to veto the bill that contains some provisions similar to a tough law enacted last year in Arizona.

Speakers encouraged illegal immigrant workers not to leave the state but instead to dig in, organise and mobilise.

"In the labour movement we have a saying 'Don't Mourn, Organise!' We may want to mourn HB87, but let us instead organise like never before," said Ben Speight, organiser director of the Teamsters Local 728.

The bill passed by state lawmakers last month would authorise law enforcement officers to check the immigration status of certain suspects and to detain them if they are in the country illegally. It would penalise people who knowingly transport or harbour illegal immigrants and makes it a felony to present false documents or infor-mation when applying for a job. It also requires many businesses to verify the immigration status of new hires using an online federal database.

Deal, who has long been a supporter of strict immigration measures, has said he plans to sign the legislation into law.