DePauw Students Help Organize Protest Against Proposed Legislation

March 9, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — "Protests against an immigration reform bill already passed by state senators will reach La Porte on Thursday," begins a story published in today's Michigan City News Dispatch. The Indiana newspaper notes that "Margarita Villa, a 20-year-old DePauw University junior ... is helping organize three rallies across the state against SB 590."  The bill is is similar to legislation passed in Arizona, which empowers local police to enforce federal immigration law.  If officers have reasonable suspicion that a person is in the United States illegally, they woud be allowed to ask a person for proof of their immigration status.

"This bill advocates and possibly even mandates racial profiling," Villa states. "It's an insult to a lot of communities, undocumented or not."

Alicia Edbaugh writes, "The rally here, to be held from 4 to 7 p.m. outside the La Porte courthouse, has been organized by college students from DePauw, Indiana University and other schools, including local high schools, Villa said. These young adults feel that not only they, but also their families, could be targeted, she said."

You'll find the complete story at the News Dispatch's website.