Illegal Immigrant Protest Tactics 'Escalating' - From Four Protesters to Five!

Back in January, Times reporter Julia Preston managed to squeeze a 780-word story out of a teeny-tiny protest: A grand total of four students marching from Miami to Washington, D.C. in the name of amnesty for illegal immigrant students. By contrast, a massive anti-Obama rally that attracted over 100,000 people to the Capitol on September 12, 2009 resulted in virtually the same level of print coverage: A 932-word article.

On Tuesday Preston struck again, finding a grand total of five immigrant students waging a sit-in at Sen. John McCain's office in Arizona worth a full story Tuesday: "Illegal Immigrant Students Protest at McCain Office." A medium-sized photo of the squatting students ran above the article about the "escalation of protest tactics" (from four to five protesters?)

In an escalation of protest tactics, five immigrants dressed in caps and gowns held a sit-in on Monday at the Tucson offices of Senator John McCain, calling on him to sponsor legislation to open a path to legal status for young illegal immigrants.

Four of the protesters, including three who are in the country illegally, were arrested Monday evening on misdemeanor trespassing charges. The three were expected to face deportation proceedings.

It was the first time students have directly risked deportation in an effort to prompt Congress to take up a bill that would benefit illegal immigrant youths.

Preston referred to her previous reporting on the Miami march of four:

Illegal immigrant students have become increasingly public in their protests in recent months, as the prospects for an immigration overhaul faded in Washington. Four immigrant students walked from Miami to Washington, arriving in late April. So far, immigration authorities have not moved to detain student protesters.

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