Two events directed at opposite ends of the illegal immigration debate take place this weekend in Sonoma County.
Organizers say at least 3,000 people are expected to march Sunday through downtown Santa Rosa in a pro-immigration rally organized by the local field office of the United Farm Workers.
Casimiro Alvarez, UFW regional director, said the rally and march come after a long period of relative silence from the local Latino immigrant community. He said the goal of the march is three-fold.
“First, we want to honor the memory of Cesar Chavez and celebrate his life and work,” Alvarez said. “Second, we want to keep pushing hard for fair immigration reform and to call on the U.S. government to end all the roundups and deportations of immigrants.”
He said another goal of the event is to encourage county officials to designate the local community as a “county of refuge.
The event comes a day after the Eagle Forum of California holds its seventh annual education conference at the Double Tree Hotel in Rohnert Park.
The Eagle Forum promotes American sovereignty and “immediate border security to stop the entry of illegal aliens, illegal drugs, women seeking to give birth to ‘anchor babies,’ Third World diseases, criminal gangs, and potential terrorists,” according to its Web site.
It also opposes guest worker programs and any perceived “amnesty” for those in the country illegally.
Organizers of the conference announced this week that Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, a vocal critic of illegal immigration, is expected to attend the event Saturday.
The Eagle Forum will present Hunter with its “Statesman of the Year” award for his strong stance against illegal immigration.
