Children back immigrant rights

Some of the activists marching in Wednesday's rally for immigrant rights were sucking their thumbs, and at least one was wailing that he wanted a snack.

It was a different kind of demonstration that spilled into the streets of Seattle -- some of the marchers weren't accustomed to being allowed to cross the street, let alone walk down the middle of it chirping Che Guevara's famous adage: "Si, se puede!"

About 400 people marched from Westlake Center to the Henry M. Jackson Federal Building on Second Avenue, where they rallied beneath 34 floors of government offices.

"Our representatives in Washington, D.C., say they believe in family values," 9-year- old Josephina Alanis-Mora shouted into the crowd. "To me, there is no more important family value than allowing families to stay together."

Wednesday's rally was an attempt to shed light on what happens to children whose parents are imprisoned or deported under U.S. immigration policies.

"Lots of people in our family are very fearful," said Seattle resident Erin Fanning, who is married to a Mexican immigrant. "Even our children who were born here don't feel like full citizens."

In 1995, about 33,000 non-citizens were deported nationwide, according to the National Immigration Law Center. By 2003, the number of deportees had more than doubled, reaching about 77,000.

Dayzhon Mekonnen, 10, and his brother O'shaay, 11, wore red sashes over their coats Wednesday -- a sign their family had felt the brunt of immigration laws. The boys' father, an African immigrant, was raised in the country but is now in a detention center in Tacoma.

Dayzhon said he writes letters to his father and tells him "how much I love him and miss him."

Mayor Greg Nickels showed up to walk with activists and offered his perspective on the situation.

"We are a country of immigrants," Nickels said.

"We are strong because we are diverse."

Wednesday's rally might just be a taste of what's to come. On May 1, demonstrations once again will be held in major cities across the country, including Seattle, where thousands rallied in the streets last year.