People turnout for May Day in New Haven

New Haven, Connecticut (WTNH) - Across the country, communities held protests Saturday in response to Arizona's new immigration law.

In New Haven, people gathered for MayDayNewHaven to debate the new law and to also rally for reform. Arm and arm in solidarity they marched for labor and for immigrant rights Saturday afternoon..

The law allows police to question a person's immigration status if they suspect they are in the country illegally.

New Haven Alderman/Organizer Migdalia Castro said, “Zero tolerance to discrimination to racial profiling. Zero tolerance to everything that makes a division and keeps families apart."

Police in Arizona now have the right to question people about immigration status if there's reason to suspect they're in the country illegally.

"People are really upset of what's happening in Arizona. Here in Connecticut we're really more supporting of the families and keeping it intact,” continued Migdalia Castro. “And so we're going to send a loud message that immigration reform is needed not next year but this year 2010.”

And organizers of this march say that this is just another example of how New Haven is at the forefront of immigrant right issues.""

Like the implementation of the New Haven identification card and the growing number activist groups in the city.

“We have been and example since 2006 and then I guess this city show an example to the rest of the country,” said John Lugo, an organizer. “Everybody cares about the immigrant community and everybody's willing to speak up."

The May Day march and rally began and concluded on the New Haven Green.

The event ran from 12 p.m. through 7 p.m. Saturday.