Hundreds of Central Coast farm workers and supporters march Sunday in Watsonville to boost public support for the AgJobs bill allowing undocumented field laborers to earn permanent legal status. Several similar UFW-led marches and rallies have taken place this month in the Salinas and Central valleys and in Ventura County.

Joining the marchers will be UFW National Vice President Efren Barajas, Assemblyman Simon Salinas (D-Salinas), U.S. Rep. Sam Farr (D-Calif.), plus members of the Watsonville City Council.

Recent rumors of raids and intimidation by U.S. immigration authorities have sown widespread fear among Latino immigrants and demonstrated the need for this landmark legislation, march organizers say. UFW offices across California have received numerous calls from farm workers and other Latinos afraid to leave their homes or take children to school. According to reports, people are often being questioned and arrested because of their skin color.

The bipartisan federal AgJobs bill now before the U.S. Senate--S. 1645 and H.R. 3142, by U.S. Sens. Larry E. Craig (R-Idaho) and Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), and U.S. Reps. Chris Cannon (R-Utah) and Howard Berman (D-Calif.)-would allow undocumented farm workers to earn the legal right to permanently stay in this country by continuing to work in agriculture. Also strongly backed by the agricultural industry, AgJobs has the support of 63 co-sponsors in the Senate, including many Republicans.

AgJobs has been endorsed by hundreds of organizations representing a broad cross-section of employer associations, religious organizations, immigrant advocates, civil rights groups and unions from across the nation. The editorial boards of the Wall St. Journal, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Sacramento Bee, Fresno Bee, Salinas Californian, La Opinion, Miami Herald, New York Times and other newspapers around the U.S. have editorialized for the measure.

Who: Hundreds of Central Coast farm workers, UFW National Vice President Efren Barajas plus federal, state and local elected officials.

What: March to support the AgJobs immigration reform bill before Congress.

When: 12 noon march begins; 2:30 p.m. rally, Sunday, July 18, 2004.

Where: Begins and ends at Watsonville Plaza, corner of Main & East Beach Sts., Watsonville.

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