Immigrants' rights groups along with labor unions and civil rights advocates have organized the "Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride" in order to draw attention to the plight of many immigrants. An updated version of the 1960's Freedom Rides, 18 buses carrying 800 immigrants will travel across the country and stop in more than 42 states so the riders can hold rallies and news conferences to seek public support. The Freedom Ride will come to a finale in Flushing Meadows, New York where sponsors are hoping to attract more than 100,000 supporters to an Oct. 4 rally. The immigrants' ride sponsors are trying to achieve several goals, including letting immigrants who work in the United States legalize their status, and providing full labor protections and civil rights to all immigrant workers, even illegal ones.
See Steven Greenhouse, The New York Times, September 16, 2003