Immigrant Boycott Observed in Washington, D.C.

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RENEE MONTAGNE, host:

This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Renee Montagne in Washington.

JOHN YDSTIE, host:

Steve Inskeep is on assignment in Baghdad. I'm John Ydstie.

Across the country today, legal and immigrants are expected to stay home from work and stay away from shopping in an economic boycott. The aim is to showcase how much immigrant workers contribute to the economy, as Congress debates whether to legalize millions of them.

Various churches and immigrant rights groups are backing the move as a way to continue the momentum built by massive immigrant marches in the past month. We have reports from both coasts today. Starting with NPR's Libby Lewis in Washington.

LIBBY LEWIS reporting:

Here in the nation's capital, there were signs that some immigrants were observing the work boycott and some were not. At Union Station, the city's historic train station is seeing that most immigrant workers of the food and news establishments were showing up for work. At Au Bon Pain, Manager Ron Avakari(ph) was working with a dozen or so employees serving early commuters. Most of those employees this morning were immigrants.

Mr. RON AVAKARI: I have like two of the employees that called out; they said they wanted to go to the rally and that they're not coming.

LEWIS: And that's okay?

Mr. AVAKARI: That's fine. We have a lot of employees. A couple of them aren't going to hurt.

LEWIS: At Whole Foods, a natural food grocery store near Dupont Circle, the numbers of immigrants planning to stay out of work were higher.

Ms. DEBBIE PEARSON(ph): It's hard to say. I would say probably around fifty folks requested the day off.

LEWIS: Debbie Pearson is the store's team leader.

Ms. PEARSON: Most of our folks asked for the day off in advance. And so by doing that, we were able to change our production around and make sure that we were prepared. And they followed procedures--you know, we really ought to make sure that people feel safe, and that was (unintelligible). So it worked out really well.

LEWIS: Outside, a Latino immigrant's advocacy group was handing out fliers for immigrants to come to the rally planned for later in the afternoon, whether they went to work or not. Come show Congress you have a voice and register to vote, the flier said.

At a corner in front of a paint store in the northwest part of the city, there were maybe a dozen day-laborers looking for work, boycott or no. And there were signs of sympathy for the sentiments of the immigrant community, even among some bosses. Arnold Davis(ph) is a general contractor who hires day-laborers.

Mr. ARNOLD DAVIS: I got 17 guys, and only three of them showed up. I'm definitely not mad at them because they do have rights, even being illegal immigrants or not.

LEWIS: Libby Lewis, NPR News, Washington.

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