Hispanic group plans boycott over immigration raid

RENO -- A group of Hispanic people in Reno have called for a three-day boycott of all businesses in northern Nevada after a federal raid in which 54 suspected illegal workers were arrested.

The group of about 60 people also called for a strike by all Hispanic workers on Wednesday, the final day of the boycott, and for a rally and a march for Reno's federal courthouse in support of those arrested.

"Huelga! Huelga! Huelga!" the group chanted as it stood and applauded near the end of a meeting Saturday at El Cordero de Dios Assemblies of God Church in Reno. Huelga is Spanish for "strike."

The group also called for a boycott of Reno radio station KKOH and its afternoon talk show host, Bill Manders, who it argued is not compassionate towards undocumented Latinos. A KKOH representative nor Manders could not be reached for comment.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials on Thursday raided 11 McDonald's restaurants owned by Reno businessman Luther Mack, leading to the arrests of several employees.

"We feel we Latinos have been bushwhacked, charred and ICE'd by our government," said Gilbert Cortez, president of Casa Latina Centro de Informacion, one of the groups that organized the meeting. "This land belongs to God and not to the United States."

Mack said he is working with the Department of Labor and immigration authorities to pay the employees who were arrested.

Payment has been made difficult because the federal government seized payroll records, he said.

"If those records were available, we would have issued those checks immediately," Mack said.

Mack said he originally hired the workers and was surprised that people would lash out at him and his business on their behalf.

"I was rather surprised and in fact hurt," Mack said. "I got victimized by the people I was trying to help. I got caught between a rock and hard spot, but I understand."

All of his restaurants are open and back in business, he said.

"We're doing best we can as community leaders and employers, trying to take care of workforce and needs of people," Mack said.

The group called for a march on Wednesday at noon. Cortez said hoped to get 20,000 people or more to participate.

Luis Caceres, general director of the Sociedad De Salvadorenos Unidos De Nevada Cooperando Con Atiquizaya, said the proposed action is to draw attention to the fact that immigrant workers are here to work and raise families.

"If work is a crime, accuse me of committing a crime," he said.

"Because of the reform that didn't pass, we're paying for it. Our families are being divided and our people are being prosecuted because they didn't have any papers."