NEW YORK, NY May 01, 2007 —A number of immigrant rights demonstrations will take place around the city today. The events, aimed at drawing attention to immigration reform, will culminate in Union Square Park where a large rally is scheduled. WNYC's Cindy Rodriguez reports.

REPORTER: Last year, several large marches led up to the May Day rallies. This year, the marches have not happened. But organizers insist the energy is still there. David Villas from the May 1st Coalition helped organize today's Union Square rally. He says his group has been bombarded with calls and e-mails from people wanting information.

VILLAS: Last year's massive demonstration - what happened is that it became D-day and now people know that they have to come out into the streets and defend their rights as immigrants and as workers.

REPORTER: Villas says immigrants will be calling for amnesty and denouncing deportations and detentions of those in the country illegally. One bill currently being debated by the house would give immigrants the chance to apply for citizenship after working in the country for six years. They would have to return to their homelands and reenter the country - a provision many object to. For WNYC, I'm Cindy Rodriguez.