LJWorld.com

Kansas City, Mo. — The nation's second-largest beef processor will give more than 15,000 of its workers the day off Monday so they can take part in nationwide protests against proposed federal immigration laws, a company spokesman said.

Cargill Meat Solutions' beefpacking plant in Dodge City, Kan., will be among seven of the company's largest plants operating on a Tuesday through Saturday schedule next week, said spokesman Mark Klein. Cargill also will close plants in Iowa, Illinois, Texas, Nebraska and Colorado.

National Beef also will shut its southwest Kansas plant, giving the company's Hispanic work force the choice to participate in numerous rallies, boycotts and voter mobilization drives planned for Monday.

"It was very apparent that the emotions and passions were building and that there would be interest in May 1," said Klein, who said management and the union agreed to shift the schedule after production slowed during previous immigration rallies. "We said we were in this with many of our employees and that we have some of the same concerns about House Bill 4437."

That legislation would make it a felony to enter the United States illegally, an issue that's driven Hispanic groups in Kansas and Missouri to organize community meetings in parks and schools to educate immigrants about the proposed reforms.

But in southwest Kansas, the call for immigrants to close their shops, walk off the job and skip school has met with mixed responses. Some groups advocated for Latinos to boycott American goods Monday to highlight the importance of immigrant workers and students.

"It's up to everybody's conscience what action they take, but I'm just trying to do my part," said Miguel Banuelos, whose clothing shop is one of about 20 businesses in a Wichita shopping center that will shut down Monday.

Numerous organizations said they planned to gather on Sunday instead, or to hold community events outside work hours Monday to encourage Hispanics to stay at work and in class. In Topeka, immigrant rights activists decided to hold their rally on the Capitol lawn after 5:30 p.m.

"We're not gonna march and we're not gonna do any of that. We're gonna be more educational," said Elva Solis, secretary of the Regional Latino Affairs Council of Southwest Kansas in Dodge City. "We're doing this for the people who didn't get much out of April 10."

In St. Louis, grass-roots leaders said illegal immigrants were shaken by the recent deportation of Spanish-language newspaper publisher Cecilia Velazquez, who was barred from entering the U.S. for 10 years after a long legal battle over her immigration status.

"That provoked a lot of fear and panic from within the community, and also as far as organizing events it's kind of changed people's perspective," said Kimberly McGrath, a program coordinator at Accion Social Comunitaria.

In Kansas City, a new group called Sons and Daughters of Immigrants is planning a Monday afternoon rally at the Liberty Memorial, where group members said they would sign up new voters and take a "more spiritual approach" to the immigration debate. The group asked supporters to place white ribbons on their car antennas, front doors and businesses as a symbol of peace.