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'Day Without Immigrants' Being Held Today; Pushing for Peace in Sudan

Aired May 01, 2006 - 12:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

JIM CLANCY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Flexing their economic muscle, immigrants and their allies in the United States drop their daily routine for boycotts and demonstrations.
HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And rallying for peace in Sudan. Activists pressure the warring parties to reach a cease-fire as negotiations go into overtime.

CLANCY: It is 12:00 noon in New York City, 7:00 in the evening in Khartoum, Sudan.

I'm Jim Clancy.

GORANI: I'm Hala Gorani.

Welcome to our viewers throughout the world. This is YOUR WORLD TODAY.

May Day, 2006. Around the world, workers take to the streets to celebrate and, in many cases, to protest a variety of labor or political causes.

CLANCY: Now, nowhere is that more evident than in the United States, where immigrants, both legal and illegal, came out in the hundreds of thousands. It is an election year for the U.S. Congress. Little wonder that the debate over immigration reform is taking to the streets.

There's much at stake and tempers are flaring. Some say the illegal immigrants are nothing less than invaders, their street protests an act of intimidation.

Participants in the so-called "Day Without Immigrants" plan want lawmakers to reconsider a proposed crackdown on illegal immigrants. One provision in the controversial bill would give them criminal status. The bill also proposes walling off more than a third of the 200-kilometer border between U.S. and Mexico. The U.S. House passed the bill in December, but it is right now stalled in the U.S. Senate.

CLANCY: All right. Well, the demonstrations began in March. That was in opposition to the controversial proposed law by the House. But Monday's protests are expected to be the largest.

We have reports from several cities. We begin with Chicago and Keith Oppenheim.

Organizers saying that up to 500,000 people may turn out. What's it looking like on the ground, Keith?

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hala, it's really hard to know how many people are going to actually come to this rally today. But take a look at what I can see behind me.

This is the beginning of a march route near Grant Park on the west loop of Chicago. And what these marchers are going to do is go down a major artery of Chicago, all the way to an even larger park, Grant Park, to gather there to hear speeches. And this crowd is getting big.

A lot of the folks who are coming here today are people who are taking the day off. In some cases, with the blessing of their employers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OPPENHEIM (voice-over): Salvador Pedroza has climbed the ladder of success. He's now a U.S. citizen who owns a small roofing company. He has five employees, all immigrants from Mexico. Pedroza plans to march today, and he's giving his workers the day off so they can march, too.

SALVADOR PEDROZA, BUSINESS OWNER: I talk to my employees. And they say, you know what, We're going to go march, and then when we come back tomorrow, we can put in two extra hours during the week, or the next week, and we're going to make it up.

OPPENHEIM: That kind of determination has been emerging in Chicago's Hispanic community.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Latinos united. We'll never be defeated!

OPPENHEIM: On March 10th, an estimated 100,000 people took to streets to protest legislation that would crackdown on illegal immigration. Today's rally is expected to be significantly bigger.

MONIQUE BOND, CHICAGO POLICE SPOKESWOMAN: We're anticipating at least estimates are indicating that it could double the size of 100,000, maybe even triple.

OPPENHEIM: So on this Monday, Salvador Pedroza and his employees will lose a day of labor.

PEDROZA: This is for our immigrants, the 12 million people; they need to be heard.

OPPENHEIM: To fight for, what he believes, is the right of all Mexican immigrants to keep working and living in the United States.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

OPPENHEIM: Now, here in the streets of Chicago, you can see that there are quite a few Chicago police officers. And they are not dressed in riot gear. That is because Chicago police, ahead of time, started to work with a number of neighbored organizations about this event and decided to take a very non-intimidating approach.

And indeed, they believe that that's going to make a difference today. They are expecting a very large and peaceful rally. And perhaps at the end of the day, Hala, we'll know exactly just how big this crowd is going to be.

Back to you.

CLANCY: All right. With a view from Chicago, Keith Oppenheim.

Thanks very much -- Jim.

CLANCY: Well, let's get the view by the numbers on immigration. The big one, of course, overall, an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. today. The vast majority is from neighboring Mexico, but another 22 percent are from other Latin America countries.

While illegal immigrants from Asia only make up about 13 percent, Africa just 3 percent. Europe and Canada have a small share of illegals as well. Their numbers around 6 percent.

Now, the immigration debate and protests are being viewed with a lot of interest across Latin America, particularly and especially across the border in Mexico. That is where we find our own Harris Whitbeck in Mexico City with more there.

Harris, is there any sympathy there? How are they marking this day?

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jim, the traditional May Day rallies here this year are taking on an added dimension, and that is the immigration issue being discussed in the United States. Protesters here are stopping in front of the U.S. Embassy on their traditional protest route to sing the national anthem as a way of expressing solidarity with their brethren protesters in the United States.

Most of the people that we talked to this morning and have been talking to throughout the day say that they either have a relative or know someone who is working in the United States. And everybody here says that those people deserve fair treatment.

Again, the protests happen every year. But this year the added dimension is the immigration issue.

CLANCY: Harris, how important are the five, six million Mexicans, illegal workers in the U.S., for the -- for the Mexican economy?

WHITBECK: Well, the money sent back to Mexico by immigrants in the United States is in the top three sources of foreign income for the country. So the numbers are huge.

Again, nearly everybody here either has a relative or knows somebody who is working in the United States. And in some of the outlying areas of Mexico, the poorest -- poorest states, Jim, there are entire towns that are completely empty for most of the year. And most of the people who live in the states (INAUDIBLE) or the Christmas holidays. But the impact is huge, the numbers are quite huge. And even the Mexican government has taken a very strong stance in this, saying that it supports a guest working program and that's what it's been pushing for all along.

CLANCY: All right. Harris Whitbeck there reporting to us live from Mexico City. This is an international issue even though a lot of the focus is on the United States today.

GORANI: Absolutely.

Well, it's an immigration controversy, and it's the focus of today's inbox.

CLANCY: And we're asking you this: Should it be easier to legally migrate or emigrate to the United States? E-mail your thoughts to ywt@cnn.com.

GORANI: Now, the U.S. boycott coincides with international May Day, a traditional day of celebration for workers and labor unions around the world. Tens of thousands of workers in Indonesia marked the day by taking to the streets of Jakarta and other major cities. It looked festive there. They called out for higher wages, as well as health insurance.

Cuban leader Fidel Castro addressed a massive crowd in Havana. The day of celebration there includes a rally by hundreds of thousands of workers and a parade.

In Moscow, a trade union leader proclaimed the day a worker's holiday, one in which the government and employers are called to listen to the voice of workers and society. And demonstrators at a labor union who rallied in the Iranian capital, Tehran, used the occasion to voice support for the nation's controversial nuclear program.

CLANCY: All right. Let's shift our focus away from immigration now to a serious issue that has been festering in Africa for years. Despite all the optimism that a deal was at hand to end the brutal conflict in Sudan's Darfur region, a midnight Sunday deadline passed without an agreement.

African Union mediators are now giving the warring parties an extra 48 hours to try to agree on an AU-proposed peace deal. Sudan's government has said it's going to be signing up to the plan, but two of the main rebel groups and a third are refusing the proposal in the current form. Now, one of the areas of disagreement, among them several sticking points, the disarmament of the Janjaweed militia, accused of rape, murder and looting, and the integration of rebel troops into the government's security forces.

GORANI: The U.S., Europe and other African states have applied increasing pressure on Sudan and the rebels to end the civil war. Some say not enough, though. In Washington Sunday, religious and humanitarian groups organized a mass rally to urge an end to what the U.S. characterizes as genocide.

CNN's Brianna Keilar was there and has this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): A woman from Darfur collects firewood outside a camp for displaced people. Like many other women, she risks being attacked and raped by an Arab militia known as the Janjaweed, fighters that, according to the U.N., are backed by the Sudanese government, an allegation the government denies. But food must be cooked. So they go, because men could face death if caught.

It began three years ago, when black Muslim rebels from Darfur revolted against Sudan's Arab Muslim government. The statistics compiled by the U.S. government are staggering. More than two million people driven from their homes, at least $200,000 dead, many from starvation and disease, others from the violence.

All of this happening as much of the world stands idly by.

DR. BAROUDI FASHIR, SUDANESE EXPATRIATE: When you recognize genocide, there is a moral and legal obligation to protect the people who are at risk. But still, we don't see any sign of protection.

KEILAR: Now living in Canada, Dr. Baroudi Fashir and Haraji Moustafa (ph) have family in Darfur, and at least two of Fashir's relatives have been killed. They are working with a coalition that is getting help from some of Hollywood's biggest names and Washington's biggest players.

GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR: We are at the doorstep of something we thought was impossible to dream of in the 21st century. If we turn our heads and look away and hope that it will all disappear, then they will, all of them. An entire generation of people.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), ILLINOIS: Silence, acquiescence, paralysis in the face of genocide is wrong.

KEILAR: President Bush has denounced the deaths of innocent civilians.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Genocide in Sudan is unacceptable.

KEILAR: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the international community needs to do more.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF RICE: There really must be a more robust security force. We stand ready to support that force.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY: That was Brianna Keilar reporting on that.

Well, negotiations, as we noted, extended now, a deadline, another 48 hours, but the two sides are really far apart. Complicating matters, the rebels are trying to force through concessions as a starting point with this deal, where the government in Khartoum saw their reluctance and sees the opportunity to accept the broker deal. The talks are the best and some argue the last great hope for saving hundreds of thousands of lives.

John Prendergast, a special advisor to the International Crisis Group, joins us now from Washington.

John, the bottom line here, in 48 hours, do you think the rebels are going to be persuaded to come to their senses and go along with this, even as they maybe strive to get some more moderation?

JOHN PRENDERGAST, SPECIAL ADVISOR, ICG: It's tough, because they are being asked basically to unilaterally disarm without any prospect or certainty that the Janjaweed militias will be disarmed clearly by the government of Sudan. So I think that the mediators are putting the rebels in a very difficult position. There has got to be some additional concessions by the government in the next 48 hours that allows for some certainty on the part of the rebels that the Janjaweed are also going to be disarmed if the rebels put down their guns.

CLANCY: What's the real problem here? The U.S. has sent, you know, top level mediators. They have been involved. The calls from the White House. But you have China, you have Russia, you have members of the Security Council and the Arab League that say don't push Sudan.

PRENDERGAST: Yes. I think that the political will to speak out strongly against what's going on in Darfur is there. I mean, President Bush has really taken a lead rhetorically and internationally in trying to muster a solution. But the political will is not there yet to take the sufficient action.

I mean, you've got to stare down the Chinese and the Russians in New York, in the Security Council. You have to go around to capitals in the Middle East and Africa and work on governments to get on side so we can pressure the Sudan government to allow the U.N. force to go in, a size of at least 20,000, to protect civilians. Unless we do that kind of multilateral diplomacy, we don't have much of a chance of success.

CLANCY: All right. The Janjaweed militia accused of so many crimes there. How do you bring them under control? This deal that I saw really does say that they have to disarm first.

PRENDERGAST: Yes, that says it and then doesn't provide any provision for how that would happen. The Sudan government still provides military assistance to Janjaweed units throughout Darfur. An offensive is ongoing right now in south Darfur, launched by the government of Sudan, using Janjaweed militias to clear populations this week. So, this is still going on. The rebels are rightly very, very concerned with a piece of paper that doesn't outline the specifics of how the Janjaweed militias would be neutralized in this environment.

CLANCY: This problem, key problem continues to be there's no protection for these people on the ground. A 7,000-member force of the African Union there hasn't been able to do it. They haven't got their resources. And everybody in NATO and every place else says not until the Security Council authorizes it. And Sudan agrees.

Is this really going anywhere? Or are we in fact turning our backs here?

PRENDERGAST: It's a real standoff. Everybody's looking at everybody else to take the first move. It really has to be the United States using the very significant leverage it has with the government of Sudan to get the government of Sudan to accept a U.N. force...

(CROSSTALK)

CLANCY: What leverage is that?

PRENDERGAST: We have -- the Sudan government wants to be a player internationally. As long as the U.S. is holding it back by sanctioning the government and doing other kinds of things that limit its ability to be a full participant in international forum, I think that that creates -- that creates leverage that we can then utilize. And we're just not using it yet.

CLANCY: All right. Still a time for people to speak up if they are concerned about what's going on in Darfur. One of them that always speaks up, John Prendergast, of the International Crisis Group.

Thank you.

PRENDERGAST: Thanks, Jim.

GORANI: A lot more ahead here on YOUR WORLD TODAY. More on the Day Without Immigrants in the United States.

CLANCY: That's right. The protesters expected to come out in massive numbers. We are looking at live pictures.

Now, this is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This is in the north of the United States.

GORANI: Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Immigrants are coming out and saying, we are a net plus to this country. We are here to stay. We belong here. We are part of America. And we want to make America strong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: Welcome back to YOUR WORLD TODAY on CNN International.

Those are live pictures from Denver, Colorado, you are watching there on your screens. Organizers are predicting tens of millions across the United States will turn out for rallies against a proposed crackdown on illegal immigration. Monday's demonstrations mark a day in which immigrants withhold their labor, some of them, and their consuming power to show that they have an economic impact on the country.

CNN's Allan Chernoff joins us now from New York City with a look at demonstrations there.

Allan, what is it like from your vantage point?

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SR. CORRESPONDENT: Well, Hala, you can see right here this is the rally that's going on here in Chinatown at the moment. People linked up together. "I love immigrant New York."

Essentially, people here indicating that immigrants are essential to the fabric of New York City. Obviously, that has been the case for decades and decades. But they've come out here at exactly 12:16 p.m. to symbolize that the exact date that the House, the House of Representatives here had passed a bill that would make it illegal, would make it a felony for illegal immigrants to be here in the United States.

So, this line extends for several blocks up and down Canal Street, here, the heart of Chinatown. And there are other links like this spread throughout New York City. Various immigrant communities have joined together to really show how the immigrants stand together here.

But in terms of an economic boycott, we are not seeing so much of that here in New York City. As a matter of fact, here in Chinatown, just around the corner is a noodle factory. I stepped in there a few moments ago and they told us, "We have too many orders today. All of the restaurants in the neighborhood are open. We have to provide the lo mein, we have to provide the wonton."

So, even though the manager there and the employees were aware of this protest, they said, "We simply don't have time to come out and participate."

So, we do have people indicating that of course they want to have better rights for illegal immigrants here, they want to have the legal immigrant integrated into U.S. society. At the same time, a lot of people in this community are not willing to give up a day of work, not willing to even step out for even for half an hour to show their solidarity -- Hala.

GORANI: Well Allan, with all these potential customers, perhaps some of these take-out places thought it was an opportunity too good to pass up. But one quick question. We know what the protesters oppose, the House bill that was passed last December. But what do they favor? Really, what would they like to see implemented in terms of how immigrants are integrated into American society?

CHERNOFF: Really, what they would like to see is a program that will permit the illegal immigrants here in the United States. And estimates, a number up to 12 million in the U.S. They'd like programs that would allow these people to eventually become U.S. citizens.

As you know, the U.S. Senate had been working on a bill that would have allowed many of those illegals to eventually become citizens. That bill did not get through the Senate, of course. They remain staunchly opposed to the House version of this bill.

So, a lot of negotiations remain in Washington on this very issue. And it remains to be seen whether anything will pass the Congress in the U.S.

GORANI: Absolutely. And we'll be following that.

Allan Chernoff, live in New York City.

Thanks very much.

CLANCY: Well, still ahead, we are going to see a lot more of those kinds of demonstrations.

Also, and this is interesting, art and immigration.

GORANI: Well, among the many who want visas to the United States are some very creative people. We'll tell you about a very creative solution to decide who gets them.

That's coming up. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And hello, everyone. I'm Tony Harris at the CNN Center in Atlanta. More of YOUR WORLD TODAY in just a few minutes. But first, a check of stories making headlines here in the United States.

Off their jobs, on the streets. Today immigrants are boycotting work, school, even shopping.

This is the crowd at Homestead, Florida, where Mexican laborers work the fields and nurseries.

In Atlanta, demonstrators are marching on the state Capitol.

Organizers say tens of millions will protest nationwide, angry over a proposed crackdown on illegal immigration.

And thousands are pouring through the streets of Denver right now. Similar rallies are expected in cities across the country. Supporters call the protest A Day Without Immigrants.

Deep divisions and emotion on immigration. In Washington, a group of Hispanic professionals voice their support not for the illegal immigrants but for stronger borders. Their coalition is named You Don't Speak for Me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COL. ALBERTO F. RODRIGUEZ, ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION OPPONENT: This group represents the other side of the story. The side of the American-Hispanic community that is standing up against illegal immigration, standing up for secure borders, and standing up for all Americans who are shocked and angry about the mass demonstrations of illegals who are demanding, not asking, demanding rights that they do not even have the right to demand.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: CNN will have extensive coverage of this Day Without Immigrants. You'll also see live reports from our Spanish language news network, CNN En Espanol. And when you are away from your TV, go online to get the latest with CNN Pipeline. It's at CNN.com all day long.

In south Florida, conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh must submit to random drug tests. It's part of a deal with prosecutors filed today. Limbaugh must also continue treatment for his admitted addiction to prescription painkillers. And he can't own a gun.

Limbaugh is charged with prescription fraud and a so-called doctor-shopping case. If he sticks to the agreement, the charge will be dismissed in 18 months.

Millions of dollars are at stake. Today, a new opportunity for Anna Nicole Smith to collect a share of her late husband's oil fortune.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled this morning in favor of the ex- stripper and playmate of the year. The justices overturned a federal appeals court ruling that said Smith was entitled to nothing. J. Howard Marshall's estate is valued at more than 1$1.5 billion. Marshall's youngest son is battling Smith over the money.

Another protest today. This one in support of a North Carolina woman. She says she was raped by three members of Duke Universities lacrosse team. Members of the new Black Panther Party are demonstrating outside Duke's gates. The Atlanta-based group also plans to march past the house where the alleged rape happened.

Two players have been charged in the case. Their lawyers say they are innocent.

Let's get a check of weather now with Jacqui Jeras, upstairs in the CNN weather center. Hi, Jacqui.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: "Mission Accomplished." With that backdrop on this day in 2003, President Bush declared major military operations had ended in Iraq. Today President Bush says things are still tough.

He met with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice this morning. The they are just back from Baghdad. He says their report indicates Iraq's new leadership is more determined than ever to succeed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: It's very important for these two senior officials to sit down with these new folks and say, "You have our support. And we want you to succeed."

And they brought back, you know, interesting impressions from the three new leaders. They said they were optimistic people, that they are full of energy and they are very eager to succeed. And that's really important for the American people to know, that we've got partners in this effort who are dedicated to a unified Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: And coming up at the top of the hour, how are today's immigrant protests affecting you? CNN's "LIVE FROM" wants to know. Just e-mail your experience to livefrom@cnn.com.

Meantime, YOUR WORLD TODAY continues after a quick break.

I'm Tony Harris.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CLANCY: Hello to our viewers in the U.S. and around the world, and welcome back to YOUR WORLD TODAY. I'm Jim Clancy.

GORANI: I'm Hala Gorani. Here are some of the top stories we're following for you this hour.

African Union-sponsored talks on ending Sudan's civil war continue, but no progress is reported on the first day of an extended deadline. Rebel groups seek further concessions on provisions for disarmament and wealth and power sharing. Noting significant process, mediators extended Sunday's deadline by 48 hours. Experts say an accord is critical to a move to transfer peacekeeping responsibility to the United Nations.

CLANCY: It is the first day of May and that means celebrations and, well, some protests, too, for workers and labor unions all around the globe. In Cambodia's capital, police broke up some of their demonstrations. Elsewhere, workers are using the largely peaceful demonstrations to call for better wages and working conditions. GORANI: Immigration reform protests are building in the United States. Organizers of the great American boycott -- and you are watching live pictures from Denver here, Colorado. The organizers say millions will take to the streets in the coming hours and some 60 cities across the country. They want lawmakers to reconsider a proposed crackdown on the more than 11 million illegal immigrants living and working in the United States.

As we've been telling you, there are some 11 million illegal immigrants in America. Here's a look at what kind of jobs they hold. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, nearly a quarter work in agricultural jobs, 17 percent are employed in the cleaning industry, another 14 percent construction, 12 percent prepare food in restaurants, nine percent are involved in some sort of production, and seven percent work in the transportation sector -- Jim.

CLANCY: Now for a picture of what's happening in the U.S. capital, let's go to Juan Carlos Lopez live in Washington. The scene there, Juan Carlos?

JUAN CARLOS LOPEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jim, this is Mount Pleasant, a neighborhood with a high Hispanic presence. Shops were closed in the morning and they have been closing throughout the day. People want to attend the rally program nearby and there hasn't been consensus on the convenience of the boycott. Some people are considering that it's not a positive message to ask people to miss work or children to miss school. But there is agreement that something will be done today.

Now we have seen doctors offices close, restaurants close and closing, and what they told us is a lot of people agreed to work at least until 1:00 or 2:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time and then take part in the rallies. And we did speak with a shopkeeper. We asked him what he thought the message should be today to Congress while the Senate is in the midst of a debate on a immigration reform bill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The reality of these people, they are looking for the stability in this country. And the government here is -- they promise one thing and then, I mean, he refuses to fulfill what he promised. And then, you know, it's -- kind of political things, but this is what I understand, so that's why I would like to go to say here I am. I'm Hispanic. And not only Hispanic, but many people also should be in this rally today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LOPEZ: Now the issues aren't -- the rally isn't limited to Washington. Different cities surrounding the capital will have their own acts, and it's not clear how many people will come. But it is clear that a lot of people wanted to attend the rallies and were warned that if they did miss work without a permit they would be fired.

So that -- we're going to see during the day how that plays out. And more will come, Jim. The organizers of the boycott are already calling for a massive protest on May 19th in front of the White House. Let's see where that goes.

CLANCY: Juan Carlos, I mean this day, this has polarized the United States. You hear the right wing radio talk show hosts saying that these are really -- these aren't demonstrations. This is intimidation by the Hispanic community, that these aren't just illegals, they are invaders. How much resentment is there to that kind of rhetoric within the Hispanic community there?

LOPEZ: Well, there is no fixed position, no one opinion. Today there was a press event of people -- Hispanics who oppose the rally and who say these marches don't represent them. But what people were telling me when I asked them why are you going to this event, what do you think you will accomplish, they say, they want people to acknowledge what they contribute to the American economy.

They want their work, they want their struggle in the U.S. to be acknowledged. And most people, polls show, do. So I don't think they're -- I think they are past the point of being worried about if this is being considered as a provocation. They don't see it as that. They just see it as an opportunity to pressure the issue.

CLANCY: Sure. Let me follow up on that, though, a little bit. There are some Mexican or Latin American workers in the United States that don't agree at all with this. They are thinking that people -- some of those demonstrators want something for nothing.

LOPEZ: Yes, and that's, I think, a reflection of the Hispanic community in the U.S. It's over 40 million people make up the Hispanic community. There are 11 million illegal immigrants, according to the Census, and not all of them are Hispanic.

But there is no one voice opinion. The truth is that we are seeing a lot of people coming out to these rallies. And I personally spoke with people who work near our offices or in the same building, and they wanted to come and they had a strong opinion about it. And just walking around this neighborhood, people were commenting that this was an important day and that they think this pressure on Congress and on public opinion will work.

CLANCY: All right. Juan Carlos Lopez reporting to us there from the Washington area -- Hala.

GORANI: Now, Goya Foods is the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the United States. It founded in 1936 by illegal immigrants to the U.S. from Spain. The founder's grandson, Robert Unanue, now runs the company and supports a more liberalized immigration policy. Goya Foods announced today it has suspended deliveries throughout the U.S. in recognition of the May 1st boycott on immigrant labor.

Robert Unanue joins us now live from our New York bureau. Thank you for being with us. So you are supporting the immigrants in their opposition to this House bill. What would you like to -- what kind of measure would you like to see implemented instead? ROBERT UNANUE, PRESIDENT, GOYA FOODS: Well, I would like to see something where, you know, these hard-working Americans can have no fear of coming into this country and working because the immigrant population is a very hard-working population. They should be able to enter freely. There should be a separation between those immigrants, undocumented immigrants, and, you know, other people who want harm done to this country.

GORANI: What kind of reaction have you been getting? Because other companies who have supported this boycott have sometimes been targeted. It's been said about them, well, that's because you would like to take advantage of lower wages. The immigrant population drives down wages. What do you answer to those critics?

UNANUE: Well, you know, this country has become a service country. The immigrant is very important to the economy. It is something that we do have to look at.

There have been rates, however, on a lot of the businesses that we distribute to, a lot of our customers. And I think the resources in the United States are being spent on some terror tactics instead of -- fear tactics instead of, you know, putting the problem where the problem is, and that is on protecting our borders from people who mean to do harm to this country, not the hard=working immigrant.

GORANI: You are talking what, about terrorists, about that kind of thing?

UNANUE: Well, I'm saying that, you know, lately the INS has been rating a lot of the establishments around the area, and I think that's not the best use of our resources as a country, to be raiding hardworking people. They should put the effort on the borders where the problem is.

GORANI: Now -- the debate isn't, are they hard working? The debate is, here are individuals who come into the country, those undocumented workers, though unofficial channels. And in a way, they're sending a message if their -- if amnesty is granted to them to the rest of those who come to the United States in a legal manner, that that's OK.

UNANUE: On my mother's side, I'm also Irish. And there was a time in this country where Irish need not apply. And you know, I think they have to make a distinction, like I said, between the people who are providing jobs and services in this country that make the country competitive around the world, and you know, that's where the focus should be.

GORANI: All right, the president of Goya Foods, participating in this day of action.

Robert Unanue, thanks very much for being with us this day.

UNANUE: Thank you, Hala. Thank you.

GORANI: All right. Would you like to know more? You can find an interactive guide on immigration in the United States. Plus, a whole lot of information, as always, on our Web site, CNN.com.

CLANCY: We're going to take a break. Still ahead, Hala, I think we're going to check the weather.

GORANI: Absolutely. And still standing tall, a special birthday for a building that has had economic hardship, world wars and terrorist fears. A look at that after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CLANCY: Chicago, Illinois, the city with broad shoulders shouldering a massive protest this day by mostly Hispanic immigrants, whether they are legal or not, calling to push back, if you will, and all of the calls for tighter immigration laws, laws that might turn as many as 12 million Americans into criminals.

Welcome back to our viewers in the United States and around the world. We're going to continue to follow that story.

But we're also looking at events in the Middle East. As one government has formed there. Another is numbering its own days. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says he is not going to be seeking a second term when his own runs out in two or three years. He vows he's going to open up the post in a fractured Palestinian political scene to the younger generation.

Meantime in Israel, Ehud Olmert, forming a coalition to carry out his plan to unilaterally redraw the Jewish settlement lines in the occupied West Bank. The swearing-in ceremonies are to take place on Thursday.

GORANI: Well, U.S. President Bush says the new government in Iraq will give the country a new start. He spoke to reporters a short while ago on the White House Lawn, flanked by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. The two secretaries, of course, just returned from Bra Baghdad last week. President Bush said they found the Iraqi leadership, quote, "more determined than ever to succeed," unquote.

CLANCY: It has been three years since President Bush stood on the deck of an aircraft barrier as a large banner famously behind him claimed that the military mission in Iraq, or at least the aircraft carrier's mission, was a mission accomplished. Since then, public support for the war has waned.

And now a CNN poll conducted by Opinion Research Corporation found this: Only nine percent of Americans believe the U.S. has actually accomplished its mission in Iraq, while 84 percent say it has not. Opinion is nearly split, though, as to whether the U.S. will eventually achieve its goals: 49 percent say yes; 44 percent say no.

Today is the 75th anniversary of the very special New York landmark.

Our Guillermo Arduino has been looking into it.

Guillermo, hello.

GUILLERMO ARDUINO, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you.

It is one of the top 10 destinations for U.S. travelers. The Empire State Building was opened 75 years ago today. It is a quarter- of-a-mile high, and they said that there are more floors, 102, than adjectives. Very hard to describe. Let's take two minutes to honor an American standing icon with CNN's Carol Costello.

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CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's breathtaking in its architectural splendor. But that isn't it. There's something mythical about it. Nothing says romance like Gotham from the 86th floor. Hollywood knows it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How about the top of the Empire State Building?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, yes, that's perfect. It's the nearest thing to heaven we have in New York.

COSTELLO (on camera): OK, I have to ask you about the kiss myth, because to me it sounds like a myth that if you kiss atop the Empire State Building, literal sparks will fly.

LYDIA RUTH, PUBLIC RELATIONS, EMPIRE STATE BLDG.: Well it has to be the right time of year, and the right kind of temperatures. And if you're both out here -- and I told you you have to come with a really handsome man ...

COSTELLO: I know, I've got to do that next time.

RUTH: ... on a really cold winter night, and you kiss, you will. You will get the static charge.

COSTELLO (voice-over): Wow. Maybe that's why 3.5 million people visit every year. And to think, the building cost $40 million. It took just 410 days to build, but that was back in 1929 when they had more than romance on their mind.

Bill Torterelli, chief electrician, took us to where few have gone before, beyond the 86th floor, to the 103rd, you know, where Fay Wray began her long ascent with her simian love.

BILL TORTERELLI, ELECTRICIAN, EMPIRE ST. BUILDING: That's my kind of woman, right, climbing up all those ladders for a man. I don't know about that today.

COSTELLO: Except the 103rd floor was not meant for rendezvousing with a giant ape, but a docking station for blimps.

TORTERELLI: This is probably where the blimp was going to moor, to the top, and they were going to have some kind of a ramp, or like a cossen (ph)-type bridge going from the blimp to this very area, and they were going to walk on this and either come in this door or they're on the other side.

COSTELLO: One-hundred and three stories up.

TORTERELLI: One-hundred and three stories high, yes.

COSTELLO: That's crazy.

TORTERELLI: Yes, well.

COSTELLO (voice-over): Yes, that's crazy. But every fiber of your being wants to go to the top and pound your chest like King Kong.

(on camera): Wow.

COSTELLO (voice-over): This is exactly where King Kong sat in the movie. It's spectacular. And oh yes, they changed the light bulbs up here.

TORTERELLI: And accepting the award for CNN.

COSTELLO: Takes seven men six hours to change them.

Happy 75th anniversary, empire.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GORANI: Lovely. Thanks to Guillermo and Carol Costello for that.

Still ahead, many artists, few visas.

CLANCY: How do you decide who's going to get them? Well, there is a creative solution coming up next. We'll explain.

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GORANI: We've been talking about the controversy over immigration reform in the United States. On one thing there's little controversy, many people want in.

CLANCY: That's right. An artist group has come up with an idea that may be able to help. An exhibit that is also a contest. More than 400 artists from 40 different countries competed for just ten places.

GORANI: The winning prize, a shot at a three-year artists visa. Our Liz Neisloss has that story.

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LIZ NEISLOSS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dusanka Komnenic was in detention.

DUSANKE KOMNENIC, SERBIAN ARTIST: And you can't leave. We were just locked up in here. For five days. NEISLOSS: Confined to a very small space. No showers, no personal belongings.

KOMNENIC: I hated it at the beginning. I really wondered why in the world did I come here?

NEISLOSS: This was no jail. It was a contest at a New York art gallery. Dusanke and other artists came for a shot at an exhibition and a free shot at immigration lawyers giving them a better chance for a U.S. visa.

MARTIN ROSENGAARD, CONTEST ORGANIZER: They have to stay within the confined space. Which is not very big. And if they want to leave, they have to take off their sign. We will ask them to come up. And they will have to ask to use the toilet and so forth.

NEISLOSS: Mock guards patrol the space. No talking between artists.

KOMNENIC: At first we started sending each other pieces of paper but then the guards said that that would just lower your chances of winning.

NEISLOSS: Dusanke was expelled to a corner.

KOMNENIC: I guess I misbehaved. But I don't know how and why exactly.

NEISLOSS: The organizers say this was to draw attention to those seeking entry to the U.S. and the right to stay. The contest mirrored real life in one case. A Mexican artist, Antonio O'Connell couldn't get a visa to come for the competition. He says he thought about entering the U.S. illegally.

VOICE OF ANTONIO O'CONNELL, MEXICAN ARTIST: Right now they are having double shifts with border patrol. And I thought it was too risky. So I decided instead to send a part of me. And my passport too will validate it.

NEISLOSS: The contest was part performance art, part reality TV.

KOMNENIC: I said well, this is perfect. I get a visa. I get a show in New York City. What more can I ask for right now?

NEISLOSS: The artists could use only materials donated by visitors.

ROSENGAARD: We are trying to create a situation where people are dependent upon strangers. Just as in immigrant will be dependent on a stranger in a new place.

NEISLOSS: Back in her corner, Dusanke was inspired by her confinement.

KOMNENIC: One of the rules is you can't break the line. And this is the borderline here. I can't break it. I will just show it. So I decide not to take it off. Not to cross it. But to overcome it. So the title of my piece is "Where is My Borderline."

NEISLOSS: There was room for romance. Though like real detention, no privacy. In the end, Dusanke's rule breaking theme won over the judges.

KOMNENIC: I thank you all for giving me this opportunity and for helping me out with my status.

NEISLOSS: So did Antonio. Though stuck in Mexico. For both artists, help for a chance to get a visa. Liz Neisloss CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY: Time to open our inbox now.

GORANI: Our question was should it be easier to legally immigrate to the United States?

CLANCY: From Nigeria. "Illegal immigrants should not be criminalized." That's the word.

GORANI: Jerry in Korea says, "And one day to do it could be allowing immigrants to enter if they have sponsors."

CLANCY: From the UK. "I think the U.S. should review its entry requirements, especially for those who just want to visit."

GORANI: A lot of people aren't coming to the U.S. to visit but to stay, say others. All right. And we are going to have a lot more on this debate in the coming hours. That's it for this hour though.

CLANCY: I'm Jim Clancy.

GORANI: I'm Hala Gorani. Stay with CNN.

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