Immigration marchers in Everett carry produce, message

About 300 people marched in heavy rain through downtown Everett on Friday to urge Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform.

The protesters, many wearing garbage bags over their clothes and plastic bags for hats to keep off the rain, delivered a basket to the office of U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Lake Stevens, which they said represented their contribution to the state's economy: apples, potatoes, tulips and squash.

The march capped a week of political action that saw delegations from immigrant communities visit the local offices of three other Washington congressional representatives: Republicans Dave Reichert in Bellevue, Doc Hastings in the Tri-Cities and Cathy McMorris Rodgers in Spokane.

"Our message was that the economy of their districts depends on immigrant labor," said Pramila Jayapal, executive director of OneAmerica, which organized the march.

The protesters urged passage of a bill introduced in December by Rep. Luis Gutierrez of Illinois that calls for a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, stronger border security and penalties for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants.

Jayapal cited a recent study by the Center for American Progress that concluded comprehensive immigration reform could give the economy a $1.5 trillion boost over 10 years as previously undocumented residents invest in education, homes and small businesses.

"We know that immigration reform will help move the economy forward and bring revenue in," Jayapal said.

Larsen was in Washington, D.C. His staff here said they weren't authorized to speak.

His chief of staff in D.C., Kimberly Johnston, said the congressman hasn't had a chance to review the Gutierrez bill, but he's concerned that the path to citizenship in it may be too lenient and that it lacks a guest-worker program.

Several of the marchers told of families being separated by current immigration policies, particularly American-born children whose undocumented parents have been ordered out of the country.

Jose Ortiz, who works with Hispanic families at St. Charles Catholic Church in Burlington, Skagit County, said, "Many people have been here so many years. All they want is to be good citizens, to work and pay taxes."

Because of the rain, the march ended inside Everett's Labor Temple instead of outside at the Snohomish County plaza as originally planned.

In what may be a measure of the hostility facing advocates of immigration reform, some local union members, leaving the hall as the marchers arrived, questioned their goals.

"Are they here legally? Do they have a right to be in the United States?" asked Chuck Peritt, a union carpenter. "Why should they get a free ride?"

Lynn Thompson: 206-464-8305 or lthompson@seattletimes.com