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Opponents of new immigration law rally at Capitol

Maricela Sarinana, left, Yoshio Paez, center, and Martha Aguilar, right, pledge allegiance during a protest at the state Capitol. AP
 
By World Capitol Bureau
Published: 11/1/2007  2:23 PM
Last Modified: 11/1/2007  2:47 PM


Watch a slide show and read all the stories in a series on the immigration of thousands of people from Casa Blanca to Tulsa.

Read all of the Tulsa World’s coverage of House Bill 1804.


OKLAHOMA CITY -- Hundreds of opponents of Oklahoma's new immigration reform law gathered at the state Capitol on Thursday to renounce the bill.

"Today our children cry," Pat Fennel of the Latino Community Development agency told the group. "But tomorrow our children vote."

House Bill 1804 by Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, and Sen. James Williamson, R-Tulsa, took effect Thursday. The new law prohibits illegal immigrants from getting jobs and state benefits and makes it a felony to harbor or transport illegal immigrants.

Several state leaders spoke at the rally, including Rep. Al Lindley, D-Oklahoma City, and Oklahoma NAACP President Roosevelt Milton. The crowd, waving American flags, and many holding signs, recited the Pledge of Allegiance, sang the national anthem and stood for a moment of silence.

The bill is ironic, especially considering that Oklahoma "defines itself by those who settled here illegally," said the Rev. Don Wolf, a priest from Duncan, referring to the Sooners who sneaked into Oklahoma ahead of the April 22, 1889, land run.

He also referred to the classic novel, "The Grapes of Wrath," which tells the plight of Oklahomans traveling to California during the Dust Bowl days.

"The most famous book about Oklahoma is about Okies who became economic refugees," he told the crowd.

Wolf said that the law's purpose is to cause fear and misery.

"We stand against the misery that this law causes," he said. "We stand with all of those who can't speak because they're afraid."

By World Capitol Bureau

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Report Comment
Get legal!, (11/1/2007 2:38:16 PM)
Did the law cause this misery? Must be the law's fault that illegals refuse to follow it.

It's time all of us proponents of this law rally on the capital ourselves.

Report Comment
Brian, Tulsa (11/1/2007 2:46:14 PM)
"The most famous book about Oklahoma is about Okies who become economic refugees". The differance, not that it matters to Rev. Wolf is the people in the book moved to another state not illegally invade another country!
Report Comment
Immigrant pete, TULSA OKLAHOMA YEA!!! (11/1/2007 2:46:26 PM)
It's a great day in Oklahoma!!!!!
Report Comment
blahblahblah, (11/1/2007 2:46:32 PM)
I say get them out of here. If they are ILLEGAL aliens, they have NO right to jobs or healthcare of other gov't benefits that OUR hard earned tax dollars pay for. They came here Illegally, let them immigrate the LEGAL way and they WILL qualify for aid and jobs! What they're doing is breaking the law and it's about time we put more strict laws on the books and ENFORCED THEM!
Report Comment
gabby, Broken Arrow (11/1/2007 2:52:04 PM)
How come in every picture of the Rev Orta, his face is screwed up? He should be complaining about the photographers, not some law that hasn't gotten anybody deported yet.
Report Comment
leaky borders, anywhere, usa (11/1/2007 2:55:12 PM)
"Tomorrow our children vote."

___________________

If I ever heard anything to make me root for HB1804 this is it. The more illegals, the more legal children, the more illegals...

Report Comment
Jim, dallas (11/1/2007 2:55:19 PM)
They want us to show compassion.

How compassionate is it to tell a retiree that paid into SSA for 30, 40 or even 50 years, that there isn't enough left for him because we gave it all to illegals; most who never contributed a dime.

Report Comment
Patty, Tulsa (11/1/2007 2:57:09 PM)
Oklahoma is not the placed it used to be, instead of harmony it's all about, where do you come from?... why?

go againts the criminal that are out on the streets, regardless of race, instead of the one that builds the home where you live!..

Report Comment
mark, tulsa (11/1/2007 2:57:49 PM)
Legal status is readily available to all immigrants aged 17-35 who are willing to serve OUR country for 3 years. If we start giving away citizenship, what will it be worth? Being an American takes work and sacrifice, becoming part of this great experiment, this melting pot. Make them earn it and it will be much sweeter for them and WE (legal citizens) will Welcome them with open arms.
Report Comment
Get Legal or Get Out!, (11/1/2007 2:58:02 PM)
Do they not speak because they are afraid or because they refuse to learn English? If our state's laws are too strict feel free to return to your on country and follow their laws!
Report Comment
Bill, Tulsa (11/1/2007 2:58:39 PM)
I hereby proclaim this

Mexican un-dependance day!

Report Comment
heather, (11/1/2007 3:00:49 PM)
gabby: because not everyone is that shallow
Report Comment
Jim, dallas (11/1/2007 3:02:12 PM)
8,

I quote Dennis Miller ( sort of)

"I don't much care who comes here. I just wish they would sign the Guestbook on the way in."

Report Comment
LP, (11/1/2007 3:03:41 PM)
Of course, someone has to come on here and start claiming it's about race!

"Today our children cry," Pat Fennel of the Latino Community Development agency told the group. "But tomorrow our children vote."

That says it all right there. You don't have to become legal and you don't want to. As long as your children (who are indeed legal citizens) vote in the future, you don't care. You'll continue to live under stolen identities and run away from your crimes out of fear of deportation. What good people you illegals are, and how upstanding those who are against this bill are.

Report Comment
Rocky, (11/1/2007 3:08:37 PM)
They tuk R jobs!
Report Comment
amanda , porum (11/1/2007 3:09:34 PM)
Congratulations to Rev. Don Wolf for re-writing Oklahoma history. And for not knowing that California (even thou Mexican's don't want to except it) was and is another U. S. STATE, unlike Mexico SOUTH OF THE BOARDER.

Yes, the children are crying Pat Fennel,of the Latino Community Development agency, because their ILLEGAL parent(s) declined to follow our laws.

You want to help keep the family together, help send the entire family of the ILLEGAL alien back to their home of origin.

You Latino’s (Mexican’s) keep trying to make this a civil rights issue, you will open the door you want be able to close.

Report Comment
Doesn't matter, (11/1/2007 3:15:54 PM)
You all are a bunch of racists. Soon we'll see justice coming down from heaven; just remember what you brought on yourselves. ;)
Report Comment
D-Fresh, (11/1/2007 3:22:44 PM)
Patty, we are going after the criminals on our streets. These people are criminals, and they're on our streets every day.
Report Comment
Fed Up, Tulsa (11/1/2007 3:25:05 PM)
My cousin, who lives in south Texas, told me on many occassions when she was shopping she would be holding merchandise and hispanic women would come up to her and take the merchandise out of her hand because THEY wanted it. These people obviously do not understand the concept of boundaries. They are trying to do the same thing in regard to Oklahoma. Just because they want our state doesn't mean we should hand it over to them!
Report Comment
MAC, San Diego/Tulsa (11/1/2007 3:26:15 PM)
18, save your hatred for the people that caused this, the Mex Govt who spit on it's citizens.
Report Comment
Brian B., Tulsa (11/1/2007 3:29:08 PM)
Alot of you people take this way too seriously.

I look at it this way... it's interesting that illegals are able to vote, be able to get free health services, have a valid drivers license, purchase land, and other things. While if you go to Mexico, you can't vote, can't purchase land, or obtain a license, or obtain free health services.

Report Comment
Joe-Allen Doty, Tulsa, Oklahoma (11/1/2007 3:30:11 PM)
Mr. Victor Orta is a "reverend" only in the church which ordained him. Jesus and the Disciples stayed out of politics. Mr. Orta has a right as a private citizen to voice his opinion in the USA; but, he should not use his role in a church denomination in public as his being an authority on any political issue. The Tulsa World does correctly use "the" before the title "Reverend."

. . . The original "Sooners" broke the law during the land rush period of the latter 19th Century. They did not wait until the day that the land was legally opened up. They staked their homestead claims ahead of time. What those Sooners did was definitely illegal!

. . . My paternal grandfather was in the Land Rush which opened the Cherokee Strip.

. . . I am reminded of when I lived in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. I read in one of the local papers about a Central American couple who crossed the Mexican border into Southern California. They were asked why they came to the USA and they said "to make money." They were denied admittance for that reason; but, they could have said "for political asylum" since the USA was allowing people legal entry into the USA if they claimed they were fleeing from their home country.

. . . Many of the Mexican folks only want to live in the USA and work here so that they can send money back to family in Mexico. They have no intention of becoming legal aliens or even US citizens.

Report Comment
ALY KIRKWOOD, OWASSO (11/1/2007 3:30:35 PM)
I PAY TAXES AND HAVE CAR INSURANCE

Report Comment
Jim, dallas (11/1/2007 3:32:15 PM)
17/18

If it is so raciist, why do Naturalized Citizens, and LEGAL immigrants support it?

All Oklahoma is doing, is enforcing the Constitution. That thing the Pro ILLEGAL trespassor want to ignore.

Report Comment
Fed Up, Tulsa (11/1/2007 3:33:31 PM)
Isn't that sweet. These people are holding the American(!!!) flag. I guess it's just for this propaganda picture.
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