It has been over three years since the massive demonstrations led by immigrants occurred in the U.S.

During the spring of 2006, millions of workers came out of the shadows in record numbers in response to escalated government repression against undocumented workers.

It was a sea change, an upheaval and a flex of muscles by some of the most oppressed in this country.

Although there has been little progress made around the principal demand—legalization—and the U.S. government has not only continued its war on immigrants, it has intensified it, the struggle for immigrant rights has not gone away.

It has ebbed but not disappeared. That is a victory for the world wide class struggle.

Repression Intensifying

The attacks on immigrants in the U.S. have not subsided with the exit of President George Bush. Unfortunately, the administration of President Barack Obama has not only continued an aggressive and inhumane attitude toward migrants, some argue that it has even intensified

The debate for immigrant rights in the U.S. of course takes place within the context of the worst economic and social crisis the people have experienced in decades.

The Democratic Party early on in the administration said that it would be next to impossible to get legislation passed given the economic climate. This is a continuation of the Democratic Party’s long history of a lack of political will to fight for a progressive agenda. They show such a timidity and fear of the right-wing in this country that their program almost becomes indistinguishable from the rhetoric and the program of the Republican Party.

In the current tumultuous debate on heath care, President Obama has said that the undocumented would get absolutely no kind of health care. The right wing says that President Obama’s health care reform would only attract more “illegal” migration.

Both positions are criminal. Health care is a human right, whether you have documents or not, whether you are employed or unemployed. Furthermore, undocumented workers have earned health care over and over with the riches they have made for this country one-thousand fold.

Racism against immigrants persists. A reactionary icon of this racism is the infamous sheriff of Phoenix, Arizona.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio is nationally and internationally infamous for what can only be described as a reign of terror against not only immigrants but against people of color and the poor. Inmates of all nationalities are treated brutally and constantly humiliated in Arpaio’s jails. The sheriff’s practices have become so appalling that a national outcry has forced the Justice Department to investigate Arpaio’s conduct as well as that of his deputies.

What is happening in Arizona is just a sample of the attacks against immigrants sweeping the country. Racial profiling against “foreign-looking” workers has become epidemic. Driving while Latina/0, Jamaican or Nigerian has become a reason to be stopped, victimized, detained and deported. Should a seat belt break or a tail light bust, you can land in jail or in a hellish detention cell.

Spurred by the economic crisis, the right wing is sharpening their weapons, escalating their racist diatribe. This dangerous rhetoric is leading to more and more anti-immigrant crimes.

In Mount Vernon, Ohio, a group of teenagers was charged with putting a noose around the neck of a Latino boy in May and dragging him in a parking lot. Were it not for the intervention of some strangers who stopped the attack, the youth, Roberto Cantu, might have been lynched.

Despite this noose attack and yelling racist epitaphs, including “Get the Mexican,” Cantu said, only one attacker was sentenced to only 10 days in jail and the charges of aggravated assault were dropped. (Mansfield News Journal, June 17)

Other equally repugnant episodes are taking place around the country. There is horror stories of children placed in foster homes after their parents are detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. One case involved a Guatemalan woman whose children were taken from her in a round-up. She spent years trying to get her children out of foster care.

In Ann Arbor, Michigan immigrant rights activists report that undocumented workers who cannot show certain papers are not allowed to receive their children’s birth certificates.

Government policy at a standstill

The Obama administration has not yet moved forward on passing a progressive, humane, pro-worker immigration policy. In fact, a meeting with members of Congress regarding immigration was postponed several times, much to the ire of immigrant rights activists.

Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said, as the postponed meeting was finally held on June 25, that the “votes aren’t there” for immigration reform. (Christian Science Monitor, June 25). But the fundamental problem is the lack of political will to challenge the right wing.

Not long ago, Vice President Joe Biden was quoted as saying that as long as the economic crisis looms, it will be “difficult” to provide legalization for undocumented workers. This kind of statement promotes further divisions among U.S.-born and foreign-born workers.

Ignacio Meneses, a leader of Latinos Unidos in Detroit and a key organizer of that city’s May Day rally, debunked this lie.

Meneses pointed out that legalizing the undocumented would raise the standard of living of all workers; that it would help the economy as the undocumented could come out of the shadows, join unions, buy cars and homes, and join the fight for workers’ rights.

Not legalizing the undocumented continues the age-old ruling-class tactic of divide and conquer. In addition, as the “Buy America” campaign fills the air, that also leads to a dead end. Instead of building class solidarity, “Buy America” only fuels competition among workers here and abroad. It also leads to anti-immigrant attacks as Mexican or Chinese workers are seen as the enemy by those influenced by this reactionary rhetoric.

The only solution to the war on immigrants—and to the war against all workers—is solidarity, organizing and fighting back. Together in unity, workers can meet the challenges ahead.

The economic crisis is headlined with a “jobless recovery” which has made social conditions for immigrant workers even harder. The only road to recovery for the masses of people around the world is to organize in our name. Hopefully, May Day 2010 will fill the streets around the world with workers united no matter if they are documented or not.

Teresa Gutierrez is a Co-Coordinator of the May 1st Coalition for Worker & Immigrant Rights. The coalition was formed in 2006 as a result of the migrant upsurge. It is fighting for legalization and is in unity with many coalitions with the goal of uniting all the struggles that workers face. The May 1st Coalition feels strongly that only by united workers of all nationalities with our without documents can we win the needs for the people. There are no borders in the workers struggle.