A group involved in recent Highline-area demonstrations for amnesty and rights for illegal immigrants brought a new call for action to Tukwila on April 12.

Representatives of Socialist Alternative, which backs a nation-wide immigrant workers’ strike and student walkout on May 1, explained their mobilization strategy to about 20 local residents at Foster Library.

They oppose proposed legislation in Congress that would curtail illegal immigration into the United States.

“This is a very racist, anti-immigrant bill,” said Ramy Khalil, an organizer of student walkouts in the Seattle area for immigrant rights and against the war.

A provision of House Resolution 4437 would make it a felony both to be in the country illegally and to assist or employ illegal immigrants.

“If this bill passes, it’s going to mean the mass deportation of 11 million to 12 million people who are in this country illegally and break up millions of families,” said Khalil, a Metro bus driver.

“There is no provision in the bill for illegals here to become legal residents.”

But, he added, “the Republicans who came out with this legislation didn’t realize who they were messing with.”

Describing as “amazing” and “energetic” the mood among demonstrators at an April 10 march in downtown Seattle, which Socialist Alternative also supported, Khalil said “immigrant workers are tired of being treated the way we are in the country.

“We are determined to come out of the shadows without being deported out of the country ... immigrant workers are tired of being poor. Immigrant workers are tired of discrimination.

Although the Senate’s version of immigration reform “is better ... it still has lots of problems,” he continued. Describing the legislation as “mumbo-jumbo,” Khalil said “the House bill is terrible. The Senate bill is slightly better but it is not what we need.

“What we need is amnesty for all undocumented workers ... amnesty for all now.”

Legislation backed by both Democrats and Republicans would allow the continued exploitation of cheap labor in the United states, he charged.

Latinos and students “need to go out there and fight against both of these bills.”

May 1 will be “the great American boycott, a day without immigrants,” Khalil told the group.

“No one should go to work, no one should shop, no one should go to school that day.”

He said “the strike will be much more powerful if trade unions call for a nation-wide work stoppage that day ... [and] shut down the whole country.”

Khalil said their aim is to “shut down” the top 500 U.S. corporations “if they don’t pay us living wages and grant us rights....

These corporations are the cause of illegal immigration because, he charged, they “go to Mexico and set up sweat shops. This forces workers to immigrate [to the U.S.] to make a decent living....

“We need to unite all workers and build an international workers’ movement against multinational corporation.” to end poverty and war.

“I urge you to join our struggle,” Khalil told his Highline audience.

In a prepared handout opposing HR 4437, Socialist Alternative presented a “fighting program for immigrant rights.”

The rights demanded are:

“Immediate and unconditional amnesty for all undocumented workers.”

An end to deportations of illegal immigrants and “all attacks on immigrant communities.”

Driver’s licenses “regardless of immigrant status.”

“A living wage of $12.50 an hour for all workers. Organize the unorganized into unions.”

“A free, publicly owned national health care system.”

The group ended its agenda with the summons, “Workers of the world unite!”