Undocumented immigrants tour country with message - MSNewsNow.com - Jackson, MS
Undocumented workers are traveling the country to spread the message of empowerment and fight legislation targeted at those living illegally in America.
The No Papers, No Fear Justice Ride stopped in Jackson Sunday.
The tour made its fifth stop in the Capital City after visits in Denver, Albuquerque, Austin and New Orleans
Two vans and one bus drove into Jackson with 27 undocumented workers who left Phoenix Arizona in late July.
They are native Mexicans who are traveling the country with a message.
"The people united will never be defeated," chanted the group after exiting the vehicles.
Sunday they met with the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance and are speaking out against Arizona's immigration laws and similar legislation.
Twenty one year old Fernando Lopez said he is sharing information about injustice after being jailed in deplorable conditions for driving without a license.
"I learned a lot about migrant detention centers, how they work, how corrupt they are and how long the process takes for certain people that they didn't even commit any type of crime," said Lopez.
The tour participants said they represent 10 million people in this country.
"What we want is to just come out and say we're undocumented, we're not afraid anymore. We're tired of all these laws that are passing through every state, every city. We don't want our families to be suffering any more. We don't want anymore deportation. We want all that to stop," said undocumented Arizona resident Natally Cruz.
Governor Phil Bryant's spokesman Mick Bullock said the governor was one of the first elected state officials to express his strong concern over the negative impact that illegal immigration has had on our state and its budget.
While state auditor in 2006, Bryant reported that an estimated 49,000 illegal immigrants were in the state with an annual impact of $25 million dollars.
"We would like to see congress pass something that's fair to workers that are here and as a matter of fact to all workers, level the playing field so people regardless of status can have the same rights like on the job and in the community," said MIRA Executive Director Bill Chandler.
Organizers said the bus tour will pick up more Mississippians before heading to Tennessee.
The No Papers, No Fear Justice Tour makes its final stop in September at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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