Hundreds of activists converged on the US Congress to press for residency rights for millions of illegal immigrants, giving them the opportunity to bring their families to America.
"You're advocates for Americans all over this nation that understand that America will never be America till we free ourselves from all forms of discrimination and racism," Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy told the 900 activists in a welcoming ceremony outside the Capitol.
The activists delivered letters demanding equal rights for America's estimated 8-11 million illegal immigrants. The letters indicated that labour and civil rights were needed to protect undocumented workers from exploitation.
Organisers of the event, including the AFL-CIO labor group, also want a bill that would allow the children of illegal workers to pay in-state tuition at universities in the states where their parents live.
Since September 11 and the Pentagon it has become much more difficult for foreigners to enter the United States.
Congress recently slashed the number of visas available for well-educated professionals from 195,000 to 65,000, and fewer than 30,000 refugees are allowed into the country, less than one-third the level before the attacks.
The activists were participating in the "Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride," a protest styled on similar efforts during the 1960s civil rights movement.
The group set out on September 20th in 18 buses from 10 major US cities. The bus journey is to culminate on Saturday in a demonstration that organizers hope will draw 100,000 in the New York borough of Queens.