BALTIMORE (October 1, 2003) About 200 immigrant workers, students, and their supporters rallied at the University of Maryland School of Law in support of the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride and in-state tuition for immigrant students.

Drawing inspiration from the early 1960s Freedom Riders who helped catalyze the civil rights movement for African Americans, the IWFR seeks social justice for immigrant workers today. Two buses of immigrants arrived in Baltimore from Minneapolis the previous day. The Maryland State Legislature had passed a bill allowing in-state tuition rates at colleges and universities for the children of immigrants. Though the votes were 30-15 in the Senate and 73-50 in the House, Governor Ehrlich vetoed the bill.

Natali del Carmen Fani of the Maryland Latino Coalition for Justice led the rally with chants in Spanish and English--"What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!", "Que queremos? Justicia! Cuando? Ahora!" Then, the Freedom Riders marched into the plaza carrying the yellow IWFR sign with the image of the Statue of Liberty and echoing the words of Cesar Chavez from the United Farmworkers movement of the 1960s and 70s,the crowd chanted "Si, Se Puede!" (Yes, we can).Carmen Fani, the moderator who translated the speeches from Spanish to English and vice versa, occasionally called out to the crowd "Mexico" (cheers), "Dominican Republic" (cheers), "El Salvador" (cheers), "Ethiopia" (cheers).

Surveying the crowd, one could see dozens of the bright red t-shirts of UNITE! (Union of Needletrades & Industrial Textile Employees). The image on the back of their shirts was that of a map of the United States with the bus routes of the IWFR--from Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Houston, Chicago, Miami, Boston, to Washington DC and New York City.

Ernie Greco, president of the Baltimore AFL-CIO, said that the Central Labor Council, which represents 200 labor unions in the Baltimore area, voted unanimously to support the IWFR. Greco said he was the son of two Italian immigrants and knows "what's it all about for people to move to this country for a better life." Greco, who had earlier been at a prayer breakfast where 300 had shown their support for the Freedom Riders, said that he speaks good English, but "there's something I don't understand. I hear this term 'illegal alien'" used by many of the 535 Congressional representatives. Greco then cataloged statistics about some in Congress--29 accused of spouse abuse, 7 arrests for fraud, 19 for writing bad checks, 3 served time for assault, 14 arrested on drug charges, 8 arrests for shoplifting, 84 for drunk driving, and 28 current defendants. Greco asked, "Where do they get the balls to say 'illegal'?"

State Delegate Salima Marriott (Democrat 40th District) welcomed the Freedom Riders to Baltimore and Maryland. Marriott said to the Freedom Riders that it is important that they were in Maryland because the Maryland General Assembly had just passed a law which would allow the children of immigrants in-state tuition, but the governor vetoed it. Marriott remembered how the 1960s Freedom Riders helped open doors for her, as an African American woman, to complete graduate education in social work. Marriott said that we must "have justice and education for all."

Maria Blas, a Mexican native and a sophomore in high school from Minnesota, said to the enthusiastic crowd that "my legal status will not allow me to accomplish my dream to go to law school." Blas called on everyone to support legislation for the right of children of immigrants to in-state tuition rates. "United we can do it!"

Rosalia Rojas, a Mexican native who is a student at Patterson High School in east Baltimore, said that many youth "want to go to college, but can't because of their immigrant status." Rojas said "We all have a right to get education. It should not matter where you come from."

Roxie Herbekian, Secretary-Treasurer of HERE Local 7 (Hotel Employees, Restaurant Employees), spoke for the right of "full civic participation" for immigrant workers. Immigrants work in the poultry industry, construction, hotels, and hospitals, she said. "While they work hard, pay taxes, and contribute to the economy, they cannot engage in full civic participation." "In January," Herbekian said, "we're going to override Governor Ehrlich's veto" of the in-state tuition bill.

Tom Perez, a law professor of Dominican descent at University of Maryland and a county councilor in Montgomery County, said that "no one in this country should be denied the opportunity to pursue the American Dream." Commenting on the Governor's veto, Perez said, "it makes no sense for people who have lived here 15 years, making contributions to the community" to be denied access to education. "It's bi-partisan," said Perez. "Republicans and Democrats say education is a fundamental right in this state....Governor Ehrlich should stop listening to the far-right and look at the different approaches of the governors of Texas, Utah, and New York."

Several states have passed legislation which allow immigrant students who have lived in the state for more than three years to pay discounted rates at public colleges and universities. In Maryland, in-state public college tuition is about $7,000 less than the out-of-state rate.

After the rally, Indymedia spoke to participants of the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride. Armando, a native of Michoacan, Mexico, has lived in Madison, Wisconsin for four years. The two buses include some from Madison, but many from Minnesota, Armando said. We asked him if it was difficult, risky for him to join the Freedom Ride. Armando, who works as a landscaper, said "No, it was not hard. I asked for leave and now I'm here."

Milagros Jiminez, a native of Peru, works as an interpretor and is active with ISAIAH, a coalition of churches which works on social justice issues in Minneapolis. According to Jimenez, it was "not hard to get people involved in the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride. People know the issues and are seeking their rights."

Unlike the 1960s Freedom Rides, which encountered considerable violence, the IWFR, with close to 1,000 participants, has travelled through 100 cities without an incident of violence. October 2, the IWFR buses travelled from Baltimore to Washington DC to lobby Congress on amnesty, workers rights, family reunion law, and in-state tuition rates to foreign-born students. Then, they will be off to a large rally in New York City on October 4th.

Note: A photoessay of the rally will appear as an Indymedia Picturebook.

See also the Indymedia article on the September 7 event, baltimore.indymedia.org/feature/display/4925/index.php