Public seethes at Arizona immigration law

Chicago: Angered by a controversial Arizona immigration law, tens of thousands of protesters — including 50,000 in Los Angeles alone — rallied in cities across the United States demanding that President Barack Obama tackle immigration reform with utmost urgency.

From Los Angeles to Washington, activists, families, students and even politicians marched demanding reaffirmation about their citizenship status in the name of rights for immigrants — a section that includes an estimated 12 million living illegally in the United States.

"I want to thank the governor of Arizona because she's awakened a sleeping giant," said labour organiser John Delgado, who attended a rally in New York where authorities estimated 6,500 gathered.

Protest at White House

A Democratic congressman was among 35 people arrested during a protest at the White House. Representative Luis Gutierrez was taking part in a civil disobedience demonstration.

Protests elsewhere were largely peaceful. No arrests were reported at most demonstrations. Two people were arrested near the march route in Los Angeles but police said neither suspect appeared to be connected to the rally.

Police said 50,000 rallied in Los Angeles where singer Gloria Estefan kicked off a massive downtown march. Estefan spoke in Spanish and English, proclaiming the United States a nation of immigrants. "We're good people," the Cuban-born singer said atop a flatbed truck. "We've given a lot to this country. This country has given a lot to us."

Public outcry, particularly among immigrant rights activists, has been building since last week when Arizona governor Jan Brewer signed the legislation last week. The law requires local and state law enforcement to question people about their immigration status if there's reason to suspect they're in the country illegally. It also makes it a state crime to be in the United States illegally.

Unsecured border

The law's supporters say it's necessary because of the federal government's failure to secure the border, but critics contend it encourages racial profiling and is unconstitutional.

Obama once promised to tackle immigration reform in his first 100 days, but has pushed back that timetable several times. He said this week that Congress may lack the "appetite" to take on immigration after going through a tough legislative year. However, Obama and Congress could address related issues, like boosting personnel and resources for border security, in spending bills this year.