Today marks an important moment in America’s history of civil disobedience.

In more than 60 US cities, people are participating in rallies to protest the House’s draconian immigration bill. The bill, passed in December, proposes to define undocumented immigrants as felons, construct more walls along the Mexican border, and criminalize those who give assistance, including food and water, to illegal immigrants.

Despite attempts at a compromise bill, which would create a pathway to citizenship for a large section of the country’s 12 million immigrants, have been unsuccessful due to political bickering in the Senate. (This is yet another blow to Bush, who has advocated a “guest worker” bill but also attempted to placate hardcore conservatives who refuse to grant “amnesty” to immigrants)

As a result, people all over the country are leaving work, school, and other commitments in order to fight for immigrant rights. The significance of these protests is enormous, as many of the protesters are undocumented workers themeselves who are participating in their first American civil protest despite threats from employers and fear of government repercussion.

While this bill has immediate repercussions for the Latino community, it is absolutely critical that all of us stand in solidarity with the one million people who are expected to protest today. Without everyone’s collective support and concern, we lose tremendous ground in our quest for social justice.