Supporters of immigration reform held multiple rallies today in honor of May Day, traditionally a holiday commemorating the labor movement and the rights of oppressed peoples.
In lieu of a large immigration rally like the one held Apr. 10 in Washington, D.C. that drew over 30,000 protesters, organizers opted for multiple smaller events in 100 cities across the country. Undocumented immigrants often have trouble crossing state lines, so local events are much easier to manage for many participants.
However, some immigration advocates are staying home today. With the Senate finally considering a bipartisan immigration proposal, there is fear that large-scale protests in the streets will spook conservatives, prompting them to push their representatives in Congress to oppose the measure that could offer a path to citizenship for many of the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country.
Public pressure may indeed be the final arbiter in the outcome of the bill. Immigration reform is only on the table at all because of the Republican Party's dismal performance among Latinos in last year's presidential election, when 71 percent of Hispanics voted for President Obama over Mitt Romney.
While many political pundits predict the Republicans won't be able to compete in national elections if they oppose immigration reform this year, progress on the bill has slowed. What once seemed inevitable now appears to be bogged down amid delays and the slow retreat of some of its more conservative allies.
The Senate bill is still likely to pass, though if supporters cannot rally enough votes, the it may receive barely enough to prevent a filibuster, hardly a vote of confidence from the Senate.
A showing like that would do little to galvanize support in the more conservative House of Representatives, and if it fails there, it dies, dooming both undocumented immigrants and Republicans to powerless corners in the shadows of society.