
The following is a statement of the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition:
" It is always encouraging to see musicians and artists stand up for a cause - refusing to surrender to the hate mongers and xenophobes in our society as they try to push the unconstitutional Arizona SB-1070 legislation to spread across the Country and in Colorado.
" Members of the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition will be on stage with the performance to address the crowd about our work for immigrant justice in Colorado. This event is especially timely as a delegation of reactionary Colorado lawmakers returns from Arizona and prepares to introduce the same short-sighted legislation here in Colorado in the next legislative session. This would be in addition to enforcement measures like SB-90 and E-Verify that already exist in Colorado, and Secure Communities, a nefarious secret enforcement program under consideration by the Governor at this time.
" What these lawmakers have failed to grasp is that immigration is fundamentally a Federal issue and can only be fixed by comprehensive immigration reform at the Federal level. By pushing patchwork enforcement-only State and local laws, they will only succeed in making Colorado an intolerant and fearful place as they punish hardworking families and scare communities of color.
" We are grateful that high profile artists like Mr. de La Rocha have come out strongly against the criminalization of immigrant communities, and we hope that their words will have an effect on the politicians looking to use immigration as a wedge issue this election season.
" SAY NO to another Arizona here in our beautiful Rocky Mountain State."