Category: Uncategorized

DHS Exercises Waiver Authority to Expedite Advancements in Border Security. Release Date: April 1, 2008. For Immediate Release. Office of the Press Secretary. Contact: 202-282-8010

Homeland Security waives laws to finish border fence. By MIMI HALL, USA Today. April 02, 2008

---

[Federal Register: April 8, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 68)]

[Notices]

[Page 19078-19080]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr08ap08-63]

---

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Office of the Secretary

Determination Pursuant to Section 102 of the Illegal Immigration
Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, as Amended

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Department of Homeland Security.

ACTION: Notice of determination; correction.

---

SUMMARY: The Secretary of Homeland Security has determined, pursuant to
law, that it is necessary to waive certain laws, regulations and other
legal requirements in order to ensure the expeditious construction of
barriers and roads in the vicinity of the international land border of
the United States. The notice of determination was published in the
Federal Register on April 3, 2008. Due to a publication error, the
description of the Project Areas was inadvertently omitted from the
April 3 publication. For clarification purposes, this document is a
republication of the April 3 document including the omitted description
of the Project Areas.

DATES: This Notice is effective on April 8, 2008.

Determination and Waiver

I have a mandate to achieve and maintain operational control of the
borders of the United States. Public Law 109-367, 2, 120 Stat. 2638, 8
U.S.C. 1701 note. Congress has provided me with a number of authorities
necessary to accomplish this mandate. One of these authorities is found
at section 102(c) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant
Responsibility Act of 1996 (“IIRIRA”). Public Law 104-208, Div. C,
110 Stat. 3009-546, 3009-554 (Sept. 30, 1996) (8 U.S.C 1103 note), as
amended by the REAL ID Act of 2005, Public Law 109-13, Div. B, 119
Stat. 231, 302, 306 (May 11, 2005) (8 U.S.C. 1103 note), as amended by
the Secure Fence Act of 2006, Public Law 109-367, 3, 120 Stat. 2638
(Oct. 26, 2006) (8 U.S.C. 1103 note), as amended by the Department of
Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2008, Public Law 110-161, Div. E,
Title V, 564, 121 Stat. 2090 (Dec. 26, 2007). In Section 102(a) of
IIRIRA, Congress provided that the Secretary of Homeland Security shall
take such actions as may be necessary to install additional physical
barriers and roads (including the removal of obstacles to detection of
illegal entrants) in the vicinity of the United States border to deter
illegal crossings in areas of high illegal entry into the United
States. In Section 102(b) of IIRIRA, Congress has called for the
installation of fencing, barriers, roads, lighting, cameras, and
sensors on not less than 700 miles of the southwest border, including
priority miles of fencing that must be completed by December 2008.
Finally, in section 102(c) of the IIRIRA, Congress granted to me the
authority to waive all legal requirements that I, in my sole
discretion, determine necessary to ensure the expeditious construction
of barriers and roads authorized by section 102 of IIRIRA.

I determine that the following areas in the vicinity of the United
States border, located in the States of California, Arizona, New
Mexico, and Texas are areas of high illegal entry (collectively
“Project Areas”):

California

• Starting approximately 1.5 mile east of Border Monument
  (BM) 251 and ends approximately at BM 250.
• Starting approximately 1.1 miles west of BM 245 and runs
  east for approximately 0.8 mile.
• Starting approximately 0.2 mile west of BM 243 and runs
  east along the border for approximately 0.5 mile.
• Starting approximately 0.7 mile east of BM 243 and runs
  east along the border for approximately 0.9 mile.
• Starting approximately 1.0 mile east of BM 243 and runs
  east along the border for approximately 0.9 mile.
• Starting approximately 0.7 mile west of BM 242 and stops
  approximately 0.4 mile west of BM 242.
• Starting approximately 0.8 mile east of BM 242 and runs
  east along the border for approximately 1.1 miles.
• Starting approximately 0.4 mile east of BM 239 and runs
  east for approximately 0.4 mile along the border.
• Starting approximately 1.2 miles east of BM 239 and runs
  east for approximately 0.2 mile along the border.
• Starting approximately 0.5 mile west of BM 235 and runs
  east along the border for approximately 1.1 miles.
• Starting approximately 0.8 mile east of BM 235 and runs
  east along the border for approximately 0.1 mile.
• Starting approximately 0.6 mile east of BM 234 and runs
  east for approximately 1.7 miles along the border.
• Starting approximately 0.4 mile east of BM 233 and runs
  east for approximately 2.1 miles along the border.
• Starting approximately 0.05 mile west of BM 232 and runs
  east for approximately 0.1 mile along the border.

[[Page 19079]]

• Starting approximately 0.2 mile east of BM 232 and runs
  east for approximately 1.5 miles along the border.
• Starting 0.6 mile east of Border Monument 229 heading east
  along the border for approximately 11.3 miles to BM 225.
• Starting approximately 0.1 mile east of BM 224 and runs
  east along the border for approximately 2.5 miles.
• Starting approximately 2.3 miles east of BM 220 and runs
  east along the border to BM 207.

Arizona

• Starting approximately 1.0 mile south of BM 206 and runs
  south along the Colorado River for approximately 13.3 miles.
• Starting approximately 0.1 mile north of County 18th
  Street running south along the border for approximately 3.8 miles.
• Starting at the Eastern edge of BMGR and runs east along
  the border to approximately 1.3 miles west of BM 174.
• Starting approximately 0.5 mile west of BM 168 and runs
  east along the border for approximately 5.3 miles.
• Starting approximately 1 mile east of BM 160 and runs east
  for approximately 1.6 miles.
• Starting approximately 1.3 miles east of BM 159 and runs
  east along the border to approximately 0.3 mile east of BM 140.
• Starting approximately 2.2 miles west of BM 138 and runs
  east along the border for approximately 2.5 miles.
• Starting approximately 0.2 miles east of BM 136 and runs
  east along the border to approximately 0.2 mile west of BM 102.
• Starting approximately 3 miles west of BM 99 and runs east
  along the border approximately 6.5 miles.
• Starting approximately at BM 97 and runs east along the
  border approximately 6.9 miles.
• Starting approximately at BM 91 and runs east along the
  border to approximately 0.7 miles east of BM 89.
• Starting approximately 1.7 miles west of BM 86 and runs
  east along the border to approximately 0.7 mile west of BM 86.
• Starting approximately 0.2 mile west of BM 83 and runs
  east along the border to approximately 0.2 mile east of BM 73.

New Mexico

• Starting approximately 0.8 mile west of BM 69 and runs
  east along the border to approximately 1.5 miles west of BM 65.
• Starting approximately 2.3 miles east of BM 65 and runs
  east along the border for approximately 6.0 miles.
• Starting approximately 0.5 mile east of BM 61 and runs
  east along the border until approximately 1.0 mile west of BM 59.
• Starti
  ng
  approximately 0.1 miles east of BM 39 and runs
  east along the border to approximately 0.3 mile east of BM 33.
• Starting approximately 0.25 mile east of BM 31 and runs
  east along the border for approximately 14.2 miles.
• Starting approximately at BM 22 and runs east along the
  border to approximately 1.0 mile west BM 16.
• Starting at approximately 1.0 mile west of BM 16 and runs
  east along the border to approximately BM 3.

Texas

• Starting approximately 0.4 miles southeast of BM 1 and
  runs southeast along the border for approximately 3.0 miles.
• Starting approximately 1 Mi E of the intersection of
  Interstate 54 and Border Highway and runs southeast approximately 57
  miles in proximity to the IBWC levee to 3.7 miles east of the Ft
  Hancock POE.
• Starting approximately 1.6 miles west of the intersection
  of Esperanza and Quitman Pass Roads and runs along the IBWC levee east
  for approximately 4.6 miles.
• Starting at the Presidio POE and runs west along the
  border to approximately 3.2 miles west of the POE.
• Starting at the Presidio POE and runs east along the
  border to approximately 3.4 miles east of the POE.
• Starting approximately 1.8 miles west of Del Rio POE and
  runs east along the border for approximately 2.5 miles.
• Starting approximately 1.3 Mi north of the Eagle Pass POE
  and runs south approximately 0.8 miles south of the POE.
• Starting approximately 2.1 miles west of Roma POE and runs
  east approximately 1.8 miles east of the Roma POE.
• Starting approximately 3.5 miles west of Rio Grande City
  POE and runs east in proximity to the Rio Grande river for
  approximately 9 miles.
• Starting approximately 0.9 miles west of County Road 41
  and runs east approximately 1.2 miles and then north for approximately
  0.8 miles.
• Starting approximately 0.5 mile west of the end of River
  Dr and runs east in proximity to the IBWC levee for approximately 2.5
  miles.
• Starting approximately 0.6 miles east of the intersection
  of Benson Rd and Cannon Rd and runs east in proximity to the IBWC levee
  for approximately 1 mile.
• Starting at the Los Indios POE and runs west in proximity
  to the IBWC levee for approximately 1.7 miles.
• Starting at the Los Indios POE and runs east in proximity
  to the IBWC levee for approximately 3.6 miles.
• Starting approximately 0.5 mile west of Main St and J
  Padilla St intersection and runs east in proximity to the IBWC levee
  for approximately 2.0 miles.
• Starting approximately 1.2 miles west of the Intersection
  of U.S. HWY 281 and Los Ranchitos Rd and runs east in proximity to the
  IBWC levee for approximately 2.4 miles.
• Starting approx 0.5 miles southwest of the intersection of
  U.S. 281 and San Pedro Rd and runs east in proximity to the IBWC levee
  for approximately 1.8 miles.
• Starting approximately 0.1 miles southwest of the
  Intersection of Villanueva St and Torres Rd and runs east in proximity
  to the IBWC levee for approximately 3.6 miles.
• Starting approximately south of Palm Blvd and runs east in
  proximity to the City of Brownsville’s levee to approximately the
  Gateway-Brownsville POE where it continues south and then east in
  proximity to the IBWC levee for a total length of approximately 3.5
  miles.
• Starting at the North Eastern Edge of Ft Brown Golf Course
  and runs east in proximity to the IBWC levee for approximately 1 mile.
• Starting approximately 0.3 miles east of Los Tomates-
  Brownsville POE and runs east and then north in proximity to the IBWC
  levee for approximately 13 miles.

In order to deter illegal crossings in the Project Areas, there is
presently a need to construct fixed and mobile barriers (such as
fencing, vehicle barriers, towers, sensors, cameras, and other
surveillance, communication, and detection equipment) and roads in the
vicinity of the border of the United States. In order to ensure the
expeditious construction of the barriers and roads that Congress
prescribed in the IIRIRA in the Project Areas, which are areas of high
illegal entry into the United States, I have determined that it is
necessary that I exercise the authority that is vested in me by section
102(c) of the IIRIRA as amended.

Accordingly, I hereby waive in their entirety, with respect to the
construction of roads and fixed and mobile barriers (including, but not
limited to, accessing the project area, creating and using staging
areas, the

[[Page 19080]]

conduct of earthwork, excavation, fill, and site preparation, and
installation and upkeep of fences, roads, supporting elements,
drainage, erosion controls, safety features, surveillance,
communication, and detection equipment of all types, radar and radio
towers, and lighting) in the Project Areas, all federal, state, or
other laws, regulations and legal requirements of, deriving from, or
related to the subject of, the following laws, as amended: The National
Environmental Policy Act (Pub. L. 91-190, 83 Stat. 852 (Jan. 1, 1970)
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.)), the Endangered Species Act (Pub. L. 93-205,
87 Stat. 884 (Dec. 28, 1973) (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.)), the Federal
Water Pollution Control Act (commonly referred to as the Clean Water
Act) (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.)), the National Historic Preservation Act
(Pub. L. 89-665, 80 Stat. 915 (Oct. 15, 1966) (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.)),
the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703 et seq.), the Clean Air
Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.), the Archeological Resources Protection
Act (Pub. L. 96-95, 16 U.S.C. 470aa et seq.), the Safe Drinking Water
Act (42 U.S.C. 300f et seq.), the Noise Control Act (42 U.S.C. 4901 et
seq.), the Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended by the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act (42 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.), the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
(42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.), the Archaeological and Historic Preservation
Act (Pub. L. 86-523, 16 U.S.C. 469 et seq.), the Antiquities Act (16
U.S.C. 431 et seq.), the Historic Sites, Buildings, and Antiquities Act
(16 U.S.C. 461 et seq.), the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (Pub. L. 90-
542, 16 U.S.C. 1281 et seq.), the Farmland Protection Policy Act (7
U.S.C. 4201 et seq.), the Coastal Zone Management Act (Pub. L. 92-583,
16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.), the Wilderness Act (Pub. L. 88-577, 16 U.S.C.
1131 et seq.), the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (Pub L. 94-
579, 43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the National Wildlife Refuge System
Administration Act (Pub. L. 89-669, 16 U.S.C. 668dd-668ee), the Fish
and Wildlife Act of 1956 (Pub. L. 84-1024, 16 U.S.C. 742a, et seq.),
the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (Pub. L. 73-121, 16 U.S.C. 661
et seq.), the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 551 et seq.), the
Otay Mountain Wilderness Act of 1999 (Pub. L. 106-145), Sections
102(29) and 103 of Title I of the California Desert Protection Act
(Pub. L. 103-433), 50 Stat. 1827, the National Park Service Organic Act
(Pub. L. 64-235, 16 U.S.C. 1, 2-4), the National Park Service General
Authorities Act (Pub. L. 91-383, 16 U.S.C. 1a-1 et seq.), Sections
401(7), 403, and 404 of the National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978
(Pub. L. 95-625), Sections 301(a)-(f) of the Arizona Desert Wilderness
Act (Pub. L. 101-628), the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (33 U.S.C.
403), the Eagle Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 668 et seq.), the Native
American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (25 U.S.C. 3001 et
seq.), the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (42 U.S.C. 1996), the
Religious Freedom Restoration Act (42 U.S.C. 2000bb), the National
Forest Management Act of 1976 (16 U.S.C. 1600 et seq.), an

d the
Multiple Use and Sustained Yield Act of 1960 (16 U.S.C. 528-531).

This waiver does not supersede, supplement, or in any way modify
the previous waivers published in the Federal Register on September 22,
2005 (70 FR 55622), January 19, 2007 (72 FR 2535), and October 26, 2007
(72 FR 60870).

I reserve the authority to make further waivers from time to time
as I may determine to be necessary to accomplish the provisions of
section 102 of the IIRIRA, as amended.

Michael Chertoff,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8-7451 Filed 4-7-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-10-P

Email from Dr. Asma Salam.

Regardless of uncertain Texas weather, including thunderstorms, snow warnings, ice, sleet, and extreme cold the protest to free Suzi Hazahza and all mistreated immigrants has been going on.
Last Wednesday members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) joined us, and I was invited by them that same evening to their leadership conference at DeSoto City Hall. I spoke about the issue of immigrant mistreatment and spread the awareness among the community leaders including DeSoto Mayor, city manager, and other community leaders.

Last Friday, Sr. Patricia and at least 30 church group members stood with me during their Good Friday parade. Also Mr. Ralph Isenberg spent a few hours last week in protest with us.

Now our signs are reflecting the current information about ICE and inhumane treatment of children and families in immigration detention Centers by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). To my surprise, a lot of people who work at 1100 Commerce street are not even aware of immigration detention centers and ICE.

I am glad that protest signs are contributing in educating the local community about this issue. Several lawyers have shown their support and have shared their dislike of ICE’s inhumane treatment of children and families.

Although I am standing alone for a few hours everyday until my friends show up, it is no doubt worth it in making a difference, and I wish and pray that God help us all in supporting humanity and putting an end to this unacceptable inhumane treatment of children and families at ICE immigration detention centers in our country.

Thanks to my Dallas Peace Center friends, Women in Black (International network of women activists who challenge the reality of violence, military occupation and torture as a viable approach to conflict resolution) and Patricia Juarez. Our friendship, commitment and support have kept us all warm at this cold-front protest against ICE.

I would like to invite everyone to join us at these protest vigils to increase the awareness of these inhumane immigration detention centers inside our American borders and to stop ICE from destroying our national values and integrity in the eyes of world.

Thank you
Best regards
asma

The following item was previously posted in the announcements section of the Texas Civil Rights Review–gm

A Rolling Vigil for Rolling Plains prisoner Suzi Hazahza began on the evening of March 28 at Dealey Plaza and continued at the Dallas Federal Courthouse at 9am, March 29, where the US Government argued that the federal courts enjoy no jurisdiction over wrongful imprisonment of immigrants by Homeland Security. Dr. Asma Salam has continued the vigil in front of the courthouse ever since, and will be there every day until the Hazahzas are released. (Photo by Sarah Boone)

At Downloads under “HAVA Texas” the Texas Civil Rights Review has posted a pdf file of the Oct. 22, 2004 Statement of Work (SOW) for the contract to build a statewide database of Texas voters. The SOW lays out the general timeline for the state to pay $12 million to chief contractors IBM and Hart InterCivic. The project is running behind schedule, but the nominal project coordinator for the state says the final deadline will be met.

By Greg Moses

If you were standing at 7th and Colorado about 5:15 Monday, the river of people flowed down past you from the top of the hill at 11th Street, careened out of sight around the corner at Sixth and then came back, flowing hard East along Fifth before turning North and coming up Congress. In all directions at once, the river of people could see itself flowing south, east, and north at the same time! At the sight of it, everyone cheered.

Veteran activists who were scattered through the crowd hadn’t seen anything like it since Kent State protests or the build-up to Iraq. At the federal plaza, people waving flags, holding signs, pushing baby buggies, and chanting to their heart’s content were overflowing along San Jacinto and back down Ninth Street. There must have been fine speeches at both ends of the march, but for most the people, it was mostly people who made the day most worthwhile.

Already by 2pm the crowd begins to rally near the steps of the Capitol. Students from middle school, high school, and university are more than a thousand strong.

“No human being is an illegal alien,” declare trilingual t-shirts in English, Spanish, and Arabic, sported by leftward leaners from the nearby forty acres. The Socialist Worker is available in Spanish.

Cinco de Mayo t-shirts, white t-shirts, and flags of both kinds (Mexico and USA) are some of the colors shown by high-schoolers and middle-schoolers. Texas NAACP President Gary Bledsoe stands tall among the early crowd, too.

Austin interfaith has signs that say, “All Religions Believe in Justice.” Someone hand-letters Leviticus 19:33-34, “When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.”

“They say they are going to build a wall!” shouts a student taking turns at a bullhorn somewhere from the middle of a swarming rally. “Who do you think they are going to get to build it?” The crowd is ready with cheers. Nothing needs to be explained today. Ten by ten, students continue to arrive up the South walkway or around the West Wing of the Capitol.

“Immigrantes!” calls a speaker on the bullhorn. “Yay!” answers the crowd. Images dance in the sun: Univision 42, News 8 Austin, the Virgin of Guadalupe, and the Texas Bill of Rights.

“We walked three hours!” says a young woman from Crockett High. About 200 made the trip, with police escort and principal.

“Tomorrow we vote!” reads a hasty piece of body art, scrawled in black marker on a young man’s bare back. Signs say Hoy marchamos, manana votamos. “What do we want?” yells the bullhorn.

“We should have power over the government so the government can’t have power over us!” cries a speaker. Overhead, a black-and-white helicopter makes a steady clockwise circle. In these early hours of the march, the noise of the helicopter is not yet drowned out by people’s voices.

“As much as half of all growth in US retail banking will come from immigrants,” says a sandwich-board sign strapped to the shoulders of a serious-looking university student. He could probably cite the source.

“Student Power! Student Power! Student Power! Power to the Students! Students,” goes the next chant. They repeat the pattern with Gente, Migrants, and Chicanos. “Gente Power!”

“Register to vote!” calls an organizer with a clipboard. “Here sign this card for the Senators,” says another, with two American flags sticking up from her hair. “Yes to the DREAM Act!” calls a sign.

From the South walk comes another dozen teenagers in white shirts, kicking a soccer ball, carrying a Mexican flag. Around the West Wing comes another troupe of UT students. The helicopter makes another round.

“Southwestern Supports Immigrants Rights,” says a sign in the hands of a sorority sister. “I am an immigrant,” says a sign held by an Anglo, “and so are you!”

“We didn’t cross the border, the border crossed us!” You gotta love the things students put to paper out here. Another swirl of images: AP Photographer, the Virgin of Guadalupe, shrieks and splashing water. A dark brown arm branded with whelps of greek letters (a tragic and horrible assimilation; how drunk do you have to get for that?).

There are a couple of folks attempting a counter protest. One guy sticks himself at the foot of the Capitol steps with a sign that says, “Defend the Border.” After about five minutes, I don’t see him or the sign again. Same story with a young woman who goes marching up the walkway with a large corrugated sign that reads: “I am a Hispanic against illegal immigration. Ask me why?” I seriously doubt anyone here is much interested in that conversation today.

“Dignidad, Justicia, Igualidad al Immigrantes or Dignity, Justice, and Equality for Immigrants,” says a huge bilingual banner from the Capitol steps. “No somos criminales.”

“The backbone of America is the immigrants,” says one sign. Another quotes JFK: “Immigrants enriched and strengthened the fabric of America.” At the megaphone, someone is speaking about “hard labor jobs.” A small handmade sign says, “No immigrant, no economy.”

From South and North come new groups of students who immediately start their own rally: “we won’t take this anymore!”

“US machines work, but whose blood is the grease?” asks a tall banner. A posterboard gives a timeline of American immigrant policy under the title, “US tradition, mistreating immigrants.” The timeline marks the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the refusal to allow Jewish immigrants in 1924, Mexican repatriation of the 1930s, California’s Proposition 187 in 1994, and this year’s HR 4432, the attempt of Congress to criminalize the mass of undocumented immigrants who testify to the human consequences of USA free trade policies.

As I’m trying to think what to say about the teenagers who take shelter in the Alamo memorial, up the South sidewalk comes a half-dozen Aztec dancers. I recognize Susana Almanza and Daniel Llanes of PODER (People Organized in Defense of the Earth and her Resources). They drum their way into the astonished crowd at the Capitol steps. After a while they come dancing back to a shady spot for a rest, where Daniel gets ambushed for a televised interview. To a blonde reporter he explains how the Aztec symbolism communicates the indigenous roots of the Mexican peoples: “We were here first.” A smell of incense cleans the air momentarily.

As the crowd thickens around the Alamo memorial, I shift one more shade tree to the South where energetic men unpack little American flags for people streaming up the walkway.

“$2,000 F**k That” says a sign resting on the grass, referring to a proposed fine that would be imposed on each and every undocumented immigrant.

Undocumented immigrants pay $7 billion annually in Social Security, says another one of the sandwich-board signs laying near the banner of the University Leadership Initiative. Eighty-four percent of undocumented immigrants are in their “prime spending years” of 18-44, says another sign, compared to 60 percent of the US population overall.

“E.U. es Tierra de Immigration!” Zapatistas in bandanas pass out literature. Looking south down Congress Ave. from the steps of the Capitol, red and green traffic lights wink back.

A demonstrator takes the red and white stripes of the American flag and makes them into stripes of red white and green, replacing the stars on one side with the cactus, eagle, and serpent. Her work gets noticed by Jim Swift who takes it to his cameraman. Another demonstrator brings a flag of the world, showing the Earth as it looks from the moon. I recall the flag being designed in the aftermath of 9-11 as an attem

pt to unify the world and internationalize American consciousness. Folks here seem to like it: “Hey, that’s the word flag!” Sin fronteras.

It is 4pm now and the crowd is swelling by the minute, with constant foot traffic up the walkway. The popsicle vendors are having a fine day from their little pushcarts along 11th Street. Workers are beginning to show up in dusty clothes. Families with children and strollers are walking proudly up the streets. Homemade t-shirts have the word Minutemen crossed out in red.

One mother hands a sign to her son, and they stand together: “Bush, Bring Back my Dad”. Which war zone was Dad lost to? Afghanistan? Iraq? Rio Grande?

“Give me your tired, your poor,” says a banner with all the words from the Statue of Liberty. Before moving down the lawn another tree, more images swirl, ALLGO t-shirts, an Irish American for Immigration, a boom box singing in Spanish, and a rainbow of balloons in red, white, and green.

At the fourth tree south of the steps I’m surrounded by “Recuerdo” t-shirts from 107.7 FM. More baby strollers. Legal observers with clipboards and black armbands. The march is ready to start. “He will panic without Hispanics,” says a tall banner moving into place along the walkway. Time to head South to the gate.

“El Pueblo Unido Jamas Sera Vencido!” is a popular chant today, spoken with exactly the same staccato cadence as “The People United Will Never be Defeated!”

“Czechichan!” proclaims a proud sign. In an immigrant nation, “discrimination equals fascism.” At the South gate of the Capitol, a line of police motorcycles signals that we won’t be stepping down Congress. Instead we walk West one block to Colorado and pass the gate of the Governor’s mansion on our winding way Southward toward the federal building.

“A Day Without an Immigrant” says a posterboard sign taped to a camper-topped truck. Another sign references Exodus 22:21, “You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.” The streets are churning with “Si Se Puede!” Surely Cesar Chavez is smiling with us now!

As we come down the hill at 10th St., we can see the river of people before us. A cheer goes up! The chant immediately changes to “El Pueblo Unido.” We are the people united. There is no defeat in sight. The helicopter seems to purr quietly overhead, not nearly as loud as it used to be. Anti-Racist Action clears 8th St. going South. Doug Foxvog stands on his partner’s wheelchair to snap a photo. It’s an exhilarating moment.

A little girl smiles up at me from over her mother’s shoulder. Along the wide street, the people stroll with their signs, their families, their bicycles, and their baby strollers. Sideways we look at each other and grin. At O’Henry Hall we take a West turn at Sixth Street.

“Jose A. Garibay” says the sign walking in front of me. At the age of 21 Garibay was killed in Iraq, and upon his death the native of Jalisco, Mexico was awarded US citizenship. As we walk around a parking garage on Lavaca to march East along Fifth St., the chant turns to “Respeto!”

“We’re the caboose!” someone notices about the time that the sun hits us from its reflection in the Frost Building. After we clear the street, traffic can move again. We are encouraged to walk a little faster by an organizer who shades her neck with a protest sign.

“Land of the free?” asks a sign at the corner of Fifth and Congress as we turn North. “Not without Amnesty!” it replies. Motorists on Congress honk and wave as the end of the line comes into view. The chant is back to “Si Se Puede!” The Littelfield clock reads 5:35.

We have one more turn to make at Ninth Street before this long, plumed serpent comes to rest at the federal plaza. At the intersection of Congress and Ninth we are greeted with a quotation from Texas poet-philosopher Gloria Anzaldua: “This land was Mexican once, was Indian always and is, And will be again.” Near the art museum waves the blue flag of Nicaragua.

“Everyday we are working,” pleads a handmade sign. “We are trying our best here. Let us be legal resident.”

From the Super Michoacan popsicle cart I purchase a Mango Acidito and stroll into the federal plaza. The speeches are going well. Cheers go up. But mostly in the plaza, along San Jacinto, and down 9th St. the people are holding their own freedom fiestas with families and friends. Finally, the city bus is standing room only, overflowing with chatter that you never hear on a regular night after work.

“Senoras!” calls a young man from an SUV just before the bus arrives, “El Primero de Mayo!” Don’t forget.