Thousands and thousands of immigrants, their families and supporters poured into the streets of downtown Seattle this afternoon to march for immigration reform in this country.

The huge number of marchers, many carrying American flags as well as flags from Guatemala, Ecuador, Honduras, and Mexico, moved from a staging area in the Central District all the way to the federal courthouse on Second Avenue.

Many paused to cheer and shake their fists into the air.

The marchers are a part of a National Day of Action, in which people in more than 70 cities across the country marched and rallied in what was being billed as a campaign for immigrants' dignity.

Marchers and observers in Seattle were surprised at the size of the crowd.

"It's amazing how many people are walking down the street," said Malu, who only goes by one name. "I'm literally blown away."

Seattle Police Gil Kerlikowske said he wouldn't guess at the crowd size but it was bigger than police thought it would be.

Said one marcher who declined to give her name, "It's like you didn't know how many brothers and sister you had." She said her mother and husband are illegal immigrants.

Many marchers said it was the first time they could be counted without having to give their names social security numbers, or green cards.

A 16-year-old girl, Luz Patricia Castaneda, from Everett, said she was born in the U.S. but her mother was not. "They can deport her and not me. That's not right."

The immigrants say they want comprehensive immigration reform that provides civil rights and work place protections for all immigrants and provides a clear path to legal status for some.

In some cities, hundreds of thousands marched in support of immigrants while in others, protesters were met with counter-demonstrators who burned the Mexican flag.

Those who oppose the move for immigrant rights say illegal immigrants have become a burden on this country by taking jobs from citizens, depressing wages and abusing social services.

"Americans are infuriated by the idea of people who have broken the law demanding to be rewarded, making claims to rights and privileges that nobody gave to them," said Ira Mehlman, a spokesman with the Federation of American Immigration Reform. "We never had the kind of illegal immigration we are seeing now. We've never had millions who come here illegally demanding rights and marching under foreign flags.

The rallies and marches are in response proposed legislation before Congress to reform the nation's beleaguered immigration laws.

One bipartisan measure that looked as if it were going to pass the Senate stalled on Friday, just as Congress left on its two-week Easter break. That bill would have provided for stronger border security, regulated the future entry of foreign workers and created a complex set of regulations for the nearly 11 million immigrants illegally in the United States. It bill, however, does provides a pathway to legal citizenship for many immigrants.

Any measure the Senate passes will have to be reconciled with the enforcement-only House version passed last December that does not establish the guest worker program that President Bush wants or a path to legal status for illegal immigrants. The House bill makes illegal presence in the United States a felony and proposes the construction of a wall along the southern border.

Christine Clarridge: 206-464-8983 or cclarridge@seattletimes.com

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