Raw Data: Chronology of Immigration Protests
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Important events in the immigration reform movement:
— December 2005: The then Republican-controlled House passes a bill that would make being in the country illegally a felony, build more fences along the U.S.-Mexico border and penalize anyone who aids illegal immigrants.
— March. 10, 2006: More than 100,000 people march in Chicago to protest the House bill.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}— March 25, 2006: More than 500,000 people march in Los Angeles to protest the House bill, with tens of thousands of Southern California students walking out of classes the next week.
— April 2006: Dozens of rallies nationwide attract hundreds of thousands of protesters.
— May 1, 2006: Across the country, more than 1 million people attend rallies as part of "Day Without An Immigrant," even though groups are divided over whether to support the boycott and what kind of reform legislation to seek.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}— May 25, 2006 — Senate passes sweeping reform bill to allow many illegal immigrants to apply for residency after learning English and paying fines. It also includes provisions to increase security at U.S.-Mexico border and deport illegal immigrants who arrived in recent years. The House and Senate never reconcile differences in their bills.
— October 2006: Congress passes and President Bush signs the Secure Fence Act, which calls for building hundreds of miles of new fences along the U.S.-Mexico border.