Pro-immigration student walkouts continue

More than 100 students walked out of Mesa schools Tuesday to join the growing number of pro-immigration rallies around the Valley and the country.

In Phoenix, meanwhile, as many as 3,000 high school students left classes for the second day in a row and gathered outside the state Capitol.

But not all rallies Tuesday were in support of immigrant rights.

Activists from the Minuteman Project picketed at a popular site for day laborers in Mesa.

“The End is NEAR ... For Border Invasion,” read a sign held by P.J. O’Malley, 63, of Mesa.

As he and nine others stood outside the Circle K at Mesa Drive and Broadway Road, more than 20 day laborers waited for work on nearby streets.

O’Malley said this was the fourth time the Minutemen have picketed the corner in hopes of attracting attention — and law enforcement.

The tactic seemed to work, as police issued trespassing citations to anyone who came to the store’s parking lot with the intent of hiring a laborer.

The Mesa students started their walk at Westwood High and Carson Junior High schools and circled the quarter-block that contains both schools. They then headed toward Powell Junior High School about 2 1/2 miles away.

All three schools have largely Hispanic student populations, and the emotions of many students are running high over proposed legislation in Congress. Several bills have been proposed, including one that would make it a felony to be an illegal immigrant in the U.S.

“If we don’t do anything, then nothing’s going to happen,” said Jonathan Grajales, 17, a Westwood senior.

The students walked noisily but peacefully along Eighth Street, Country Club Drive, Extension Road and several other major Mesa streets, carrying Mexican flags and chanting “Sí, se puede!” and “Mexico!”

Others yelled slogans such as “Brown pride!” Mesa police and Mesa Unified School District security vehicles accompanied the students for much of the march.

Karen Revilla, 14, a Carson eighth-grader, said the country will suffer if it tries to push out the illegal immigrant population that holds many lower-paid jobs.

“It wouldn’t be the same without Mexicans,” she said. “It would start going down. Things wouldn’t be the same, that’s why we’re protesting.”

The march did not have the backing of the schools, Mesa Unified School District spokeswoman Kathy Bareiss said in response to an onlooker’s question.

“They should be in class,” she said. “We have (AIMS) testing next week.”

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne agreed and bristled at reports that some Valley teachers encouraged the walkouts.

“Any teacher who would allow that should be terminated immediately,” he said.

Students marching toward the Capitol in Phoenix said they used their cell phones and text messaging to spread the word about the marches.

Some carried Mexican flags, and one student waved an inflatable doll with a Pinocchio nose representing President Bush.

The demonstration came as the U.S. Senate considers proposed fixes to the nation’s broken immigration policies.

A similar rally was held at the state Capitol on Monday, when thousands of students also walked out of class in California and Texas.

Berenice Burruel, a senior at Cesar Chavez High School, said the country needs to recognize the contribution that immigrants make to the U.S. economy.

“The U.S. is what it is is because of us,” Burruel said.

Elizabeth Salazar, a junior at the school, said an anti-immigrant sentiment in the country could have consequences for all Americans.

“If you guys didn’t have us, who would pick this ground up? No one,” Salazar said. “Who would clean for you guys? No one. If you would go to McDonald’s, who would attend to you there? No one.”

At the Capitol, students waved Mexican flags and shouted slogans in Spanish. Dozens of students walked down a central Phoenix street, shadowed by slow-moving police cars with flashing lights.

Police reported that hundreds more students were gathering in another part of the city.

On Monday, about 400 students walked out of their high schools and marched to the Capitol to voice support for government policies that would welcome illegal immigrants and their families.

- The Associated Press and Tribune writers Sarah Lynch, Dennis Welch and Mike Branom contributed to this report.