| Hiring
Abounds Despite Day Labor Site Protest |
By Erin E. Fogg 
Observer Staff Writer |
| Opponents of the Herndon day labor site staging a spin-off
of a Connecticut-based "Stop the Invasion" protest on Saturday
could not stop Project Hope and Harmony from having its most
successful hiring day since the site's opening a month ago. |
| About 40 demonstrators lined Sterling Road in front of the
day labor site, calling for tougher enforcement of federal
immigration laws, while a record 37 workers were matched with
employers. |
| The protest was organized by Connecticut Citizens for Immigration
Control, a group advocating closing borders and deporting
illegal aliens, and was staged simultaneously by 27 organizations
in 19 states, according to representatives of Help Save Herndon.
|
| "We are demonstrating to show our concern to government
officials that their immigration policies are failing," said
Bob Rudine. |
| Aubrey Stokes, member of Help Save Herndon, said the protest
went beyond opposing the local day labor site, focusing more
on federal immigration law. |
| "This is not a one-issue thing," Stokes said. "It's about
not enforcing our laws." |
| Another demonstrator, Lisa Turner of Reston, said she was
motivated to attend the protest by the larger issue of illegal
immigration. "Americans need to take back their country,"
she said. |
| Project Hope and Harmony conducted business as usual at
the day labor site, where the average number of workers employed
in December was 15. The site director, Bill Threlkeld, later
said 37 laborers were hired throughout the morning Jan. 7,
a record number since the site opened one month ago. |
| The event also drew a few dozen supporters of the day labor
site and Project Hope and Harmony. Members of the group known
as HEART, Herndon Embraces All with Respect and Tolerance,
held signs with positive messages and waved to cars driving
by. |
| Jay Donahue, vice-chairman of Herndon's Planning Commission,
said he attended the event to support the day labor site because
it has been successful in keeping the workers from gathering
around Elden Street and Alabama Drive. |
| "Anyone who has been out to the 7-Eleven knows that this
site is working, and that is the most important thing," Donahue
said. "This is a much more appropriate place for the site." |
| Barbara Glakas said she wanted to show the day laborers
that Herndon residents are behind them. |
| "They listened," Glakas said. "They formed a governance
team. They modified their behavior. As a community, I think
we should be rewarding them." |
