People arrived on the Mall by the tens of thousands, waving American flags and chanting in Spanish, “Yes, we can!”
Contreras, 37, still vividly remembers the vigor of more than a quarter of a million people demanding immigration reform.
“I was proud. . . . The thing that made me the most nervous was [thinking], ‘Where do we go from here?’ ” Contreras said.
Contreras, who chairs the Capital Area District of 32BJ, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union, has become one of Washington’s most active advocates for immigrant rights. At congressional and local government hearings, he has lobbied for the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country.
He is leading efforts this year in Maryland to win approval, in a referendum, of the state’s version of a Dream Act, which would grant in-state college tuition discounts to undocumented immigrants.
