DID RALLY CHANGE MINDS? BACKERS PLAN VOTER DRIVES; FOES PRESS OWN PROPOSALS.

Byline: Rachel Uranga Staff Writer

A day after more than 400,000 demonstrators mobilized in Los Angeles seeking rights for illegal immigrants, organizers announced plans for massive naturalization and voter registration drives while opponents revealed their own strategy for halting the influx of undocumented immigrants.

Spurred by marches in communities and cities around the nation, immigration advocates and diverse church and labor groups say they are prepared to take the step from activism to political participation.

``We are not going to impact the political process with marches alone,'' said Angela Sanbrano, executive director of the Central American Resource Center and a key organizer of Monday's massive demonstration along L.A.'s Wilshire Boulevard.

``We have to make sure that the energy built by the marches turns into a strong, political voice, direct power, and the way to do that is by showing the vote.''

But Congress appears unwilling to give in to demands to legalize an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants or create a guest-worker program. And there are already signs of a backlash among those who favor a crackdown on illegal immigrants.

``These marches have raised awareness ... People seem to be seeking us out because we are doing something in the real world about unsecured borders,'' said Connie Hair, a spokeswoman for the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps, a spinoff of the vigilante Minutemen Project, which has recruited volunteers to patrol the U.S.-Mexico border.

The group plans a Memorial Day ground-breaking for a private border fence, to be equipped with security cameras and sensors, and has raised $150,000 toward the project.

``Those donations are coming from people who see a need to do something about our out-of-control borders,'' Hair said.

But immigrants advocates hope to be able to spur their supporters to action with voter and naturalization drives. Some of the campaigns, such as those mounted by CARECEN, will rely heavily on undocumented immigrant volunteers.

On Tuesday, the March 25th Organization -- which spearheaded the work boycott the day earlier -- said it is planning a grass-roots citizenship and voter drive that will culminate in September on Capitol Hill with ``A Million Immigrant March.''

Last week, the National Council of La Raza also launched a campaign in the Midwest, and the Southwest Voter Registration Project says it will launch a $1 million campaign in the coming week.

Others are likely to follow as momentum builds.

About 8 million immigrants -- about one-third of them Mexican -- are eligible for citizenship, but have not applied.

Experts also estimate that an additional 6.7 million eligible Latino voters live in the United States, about 2 million of them in California.

Immigrants advocates believe many eligible voters -- especially those with immigrant roots -- will be willing to support expanded rights for undocumented immigrants.

Organizers say that with a voting block, they can ensure that their voice is heard in Congress, where last December the House passed a controversial bill that would make it a felony to be in the U.S. illegally.

The law sparked massive protests organized by those outraged by the proposal.

``This is getting people motivated, creating a sense of unity and purpose,'' said California Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles, who on Monday brought together organizers of the city's two marches.

But some admit the effort will be daunting.

``It's a lot easier to have a march of 100,000 than it is to register 100,000 people,'' said Antonio Gonzalez, president of the Southwest Voter Registration and Education Project.

Others note that gaining citizenship can be a complicated, costly and time-consuming process. Still, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services reports that a record 162,000 naturalization forms were downloaded from its Web site in March.

``The sleeping giant has always been awake, but now it's formed a consciousness like never before,'' said Jesse Diaz, organizer for the March 25th Coalition.

But some say calls for reform will be countered by demands for greater restrictions on illegal immigrants.

The Minutemen Project plans to organize a caravan that will visit a dozen U.S. cities en route to Washington, D.C., where members will lobby for tougher immigration laws.

And Californians for Population Stabilization, a Santa Barbara-based nonprofit organization that supports greater enforcement of illegal-immigration laws and reduced legal immigration, sees the demonstrations as an opportunity to expand its base.

``I think this will encourage people to express their viewpoints to Congress ... It'll help crystallize opinions for people who were sitting on the fence, 5/8 spokesman Ric Oberlink said.

As opposing organizers move to build a stronger political base, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said he expects to revive a languishing immigration reform bill.

But he and other Republicans said Monday's demonstrations will have little influence on efforts to legalize an estimated 11 million undocumented aliens and create a guest-worker program.

Democrats said they believe the demonstrations have increased the momentum in Congress for a guest-worker plan, although California Sen. Dianne Feinstein was among the few Democrats who doubted that the demonstrations would influence votes.

Staff Writers Lisa Friedman and Brent Hopkins contributed to this report.

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