KLAS-TV Channel 8 News Las VegasLas Vegas Boycott Organizers Plan Next Move

Las Vegas Boycott Organizers Plan Next Move

On the day after several thousand people took to the streets, what's next for marchers who joined the big immigration walk on the strip?

Las Vegas Boulevard became a sea of people last night as more than 10,000 marched from Fremont Street to the New York, New York hotel casino.

Plans are in the works to capitalize on the huge turnout as organizers hope to flex some political muscle.

The strip has not seen 10,000 protesters in 30 years and most of them signed a petition that's in five languages and calls on Congress to provide undocumented workers a path to citizenship.

The culinary union will continue to collect signatures, which all of them will be taken to Washington, D.C. next Tuesday.

During the rally and march, Culinary Union members worked the crowd to add signatures to their petition. Casino executives signed the paper asking for undocumented workers to have a path to citizenship. Union representatives say 40,000 signatures have been collected already with plans to add 10,000 more by next Tuesday.

Culinary Union Secretary D. Taylor says the next step is to make sure the signatures get noticed.

"We are going to give these signatures to congressional leaders of both parties," Taylor said. "We are going to visit congressional leaders of both parties."

Patrick Boyd signed the petition and he also marched to New York, New York in this group of more than 10,000 people.

"I do feel that everyone should have a pathway to citizenship," Boyd said. "If I was in one place and I thought I could provide better for my family, I would try to go to another place myself."

For the past seven years he has worked at the Tropicana Hotel as a room service waiter, and he believes a unified voice moving forward will be hard to ignore.

"Just added pressure on the senators and congressmen until they do the right thing eventually," Boyd said.

As the Culinary Union and its members stand with undocumented workers for citizenship, the Latin Chamber of Commerce plans another rally. Chairman Robert Gomez says one idea is for a picnic in June.

"It does not help anyone if you demonstrate every day," Gomez said. "The thing is to keep the awareness going. Have well thought out demonstrations."

Demonstrations which Boyd and other members of the Culinary Union will join and support their immigrant friends.

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