Marchers protest policy on immigrants

Tom Wallace, Star Tribune

Gerardo Valle of Richfield waved both the Mexican and American flags during an immigrants’ rights march Saturday afternoon on Lake Street. About 200 marchers filled the eastbound lane for about a half-hour. Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s recent immigration proposals prompted the march.

The Minneapolis demonstrators took aim at Gov. Tim Pawlenty's decision to require state employees and contractors to prove citizenship.

Last update: February 16, 2008 - 9:46 PM

Chanting and jumping up and down in the cold, almost 200 demonstrators marched down Lake Street in Minneapolis Saturday to protest immigration policies that they say are unfair and to urge politicians to stop using immigrants as scapegoats in an election year.

The marchers, mostly Hispanic, moved slowly as they walked about 10 blocks to Walker Methodist Church for a community forum on immigration. Music blasted from speakers as people waved signs proclaiming "We Are Not Political Pawns" and "I Love Minnesota." Several signs directed barbs at Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who recently outlined several initiatives targeting illegal immigration.

"The principal stimulus for our demonstration was the governor's proposals," said Kathryn Sharpe of the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Coalition. "We see them as an attack on immigrants' constitutional rights. We don't want to face a police state. This is a chance for people to speak out."

One of the marchers was Gustavo Hernandez, a Mexican who said he moved to Minnesota eight years ago from California.

"I came to support the marchers," he said. "I think it's very important to support these things and make it better for people."

In January, Pawlenty signed an executive order to allow some Minnesota law-enforcement officers to enforce federal immigration laws for the first time.

He also is requiring new state employees and contractors to prove their citizenship, and is proposing to reverse "sanctuary laws" that prevent local police from asking about residents' immigration status. He has threatened to cut state aid to municipalities that refuse to allow police to do so.

On Saturday, a Pawlenty spokesman said in an e-mail that the proposals "are common sense measures. ... We hope that even those who may not agree with the governor on many issues would not oppose these straightfoward, important steps to stem the tide of criminal acts related to illegal immigration."

MARY JANE SMETANKA