WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Joe Baca (D-Rialto) today attended a rally held on the west lawn of the United States Capitol in support of immigrant’s rights in the United States. The Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride, a bus tour of 1,000 immigrant workers and allies that began September 20, 2003, coordinated the rally.   The freedom riders began at various places throughout the United States and arrived in Washington, DC on October 1, 2003 to lobby Congress for worker’s rights.  

The crowd chanted Si Se Puede (yes we can) as Congressmen Luis Guiterrez (D- IL), Shelia Jackson Lee (D-TX) and Baca supported the crowd and held banners that said, “Immigrants Rights Now.” 

The organization asked Congress to allow immigrants a process for naturalization, increase the number of visas for family reunification, and to protect the civil and labor rights of immigrants. 

“Everyone, except the Native Americans, came here as immigrants, and now we want to suddenly change the rules and deny immigrants certain rights,” Baca said to reporters.  “It isn’t fair. Immigrants need a process to earn legal status. These immigrants work hard, pay taxes, and want to be productive legal members of our society.” 

“This nation was built on the backs of immigrants and still continues to thrive because of the work that people from foreign nations come here to do,” Baca said. “Immigrants must be allowed drivers licenses, work visas, civil rights, and fair wages. We must protect the rights of all immigrants including the undocumented.”  

“Immigrant workers want good jobs, access to health care and rights on the job, the same things that all workers want. Immigrant workers make up 12% of the US labor force and pay an estimated $133 billion in taxes each year,” Baca said. “Now people want to take away what little rights they do have. We should be thanking and welcoming immigrants who chose to live in this nation, not enslaving and imprisoning them.”  

Baca has been a consistent advocate of immigrant’s rights. Not only did he endorse the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride with the members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, but also he has been a staunch supporter of programs that accelerate citizenship for farm workers.