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GUEST: Paco Rodriguez, 28 year old trade school student, activist

Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators, including students, have been marching in cities across the U.S. to protest the House of Representative’s efforts to criminalize undocumented immigrants. On May 1st, there is a nation-wide general strike being called, asking immigrants to not work, or buy anything. It’s being called “The Great American Boycott pf 2006,” “A Day without an Immigrant,” and “The Brown Out.” Tomorrow there is a massive student march planned in Los Angeles. More on that later in the show.

Meanwhile the US Congress continues to deadlock over a comprehensive immigration reform bill. The Senate failed to pass a bill on April 7, which would have tightened border controls and instituted a guest worker program while offering some undocumented immigrants a complex path to citizenship. The bill was opposed by House Republicans, who had led the passage of the draconian enforcement-only bill, HR 4437.

Earlier in the week we spoke with a lawyer representing the Soltero family. 14 year old Anthony Soltero was a middle-school student who took part in a walkout. He committed suicide after being reprimanded by his vice-principle. FSRN’s Aura Bogado spoke with Paco Rodriguez, a 28-year old trade-school student, about tomorrow’s student march which is dedicated to Anthony Soltero. Paco began by sharing details about his student activism during the time of Proposition 187 in 1994.

Roberto Flores spoke with Louise Corrales, Anthony Soltero’s mother at a press conference just after this past Sunday Mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, in Ontario, California.