Latinos hope Congress heeds boycott

Utah's Latino leaders are hoping Congress will take heed of immigrants' importance a day after thousands of illegal immigrants and their supporters stayed home from work and school.

An estimated 15,000 to 30,000 people stayed home from work across the state for the national "A Day Without an Immigrant" boycott, said Tony Yapias of Proyecto Latino de Utah. At least 1,000 students opted out of school.

Monday's boycott and rally, along with last month's march, were organized to call on Congress to grant legal status to millions of illegal immigrants.

"We're just going to wait and see what the Senate does," said Michael Clara, spokesman for the Utah Hispanic/Latino Legislative Task Force. "It just demonstrated that immigrants are definitely woven into the social and political fabric of the United States."

In Utah, and across the country, the economic impact was mixed, as many immigrants heeded the call of some leaders not to jeopardize their jobs and businesses adopted strategies to cope with absent employees.

Alex Segura, director of the anti-illegal immigration group Utah Minuteman Project, called the event's economic impact a "fizzle," as far more businesses were open than closed.

"I didn't even notice it," said Segura. He organized a "Pro America" rally that drew about 100 people to downtown Salt Lake Monday, as thousands of illegal immigrants and their supporters demonstrated for comprehensive reform at Liberty Park.

Segura hoped the debate would move toward enforcement measures, such as a bill passed by the House last year that would bolster border security and make it a felony to be in the United States illegally.

Activists on both sides of the debate have been calling on members to contact their lawmakers on immigration reform.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who has said he opposes amnesty, said he hasn't seen the debate move forward.

"People have to come together to make any progress. It's obvious we aren't there yet," Hatch said.

If letters to Congress are any indication, the protests seem to have upset people in Utah, said Peter Carr, Hatch's press secretary. Hatch's office is being flooded with increasingly emotional calls and letters.

"The overwhelming majority are adamantly opposed to any form of amnesty," Carr said. "Very, very few have voiced their support."