One banner stretching across the street read "Legalization Now!"
Bush's recent proposal calls for a new "Z" visa that would grant illegal immigrants three-year work permits that could be renewed indefinitely, but would cost 3,500 U.S. dollars.
Illegal immigrants would have to return home and pay a 10,000-U.S. dollar fine before they could become legal residents. Critics said the fees and fines are too high and returning home impractical. "That's ridiculous, absurd," said Juan Jose Gutierrez, national coordinator of Latino Movement U.S.A.
In place of the White House plan, organizers want "a humane, a broad legalization law that really addresses the serious shortcomings of our broken immigration system," Gutierrez said.
"We want legalization and a path to citizenship so that we can begin the process of healing the divisions that we don't need in America. We love America, we want to embrace America, we came here because we want to live in America, but we want to be treated as human beings. We don't want to be treated as illegals because we don't believe that any human being is illegal."
Organizers said the marchers had four demands -- Legalization now, expedite naturalization to make it faster and cheaper, education for all and to stop the racist raids happening throughout the country.
