A little over a month ago, California immigration reform outfit Save Our State sponsored a rally at Home Depot's Rancho Cucamonga store to protest the retail chain's support for "day laborer centers". The story was picked up by a number of bloggers (including myself and Lonewacko proprietor Chris Kelly), and eventually also by CNN's Lou Dobbs. As I reported here, Dobbs was later harshly criticized for his report by Univision anchorwoman Marina Salinas.

Today's Glendale News Press carries the news of Save Our State's latest rally. Darleene Barrientos writes:

"Protesters angry with Home Depot demonstrated in front of its Glendale store Saturday, alleging the home improvement retailer aids and abets illegal aliens by contributing to the day laborer center across the street.

Members of the organization SaveOurState.org came to Glendale from as nearby as Los Angeles and Arcadia and as far away as Ventura and Orange counties to hold up signs with messages like 'Stop Home Depot's illegal alien day labor centers,' 'Home Depot supports racism' and 'It's un-American to hire illegals.'

[...] The day laborer center, across the street from Glendale's Home Depot at 5040 San Fernando Road, was established under a partnership between the city, Home Depot and Catholic Charities, which operates it. The city wanted to establish the center as a solution when residential neighbors complained that day laborers would loiter, litter, drink in public and even urinate on their properties.

At issue is the fact that Home Depot contributed money to establish the center and has established a partnership with the National Council of La Raza, said Joseph Turner, founder and executive director of SaveOurState.org."

"Day laborer" is of course a euphemism for illegal immigrant. By funding the construction of "centers" to shelter them, Home Depot is not only winking at an illegal practice but also lending it a veneer of legitimacy which, if allowed to go unchallenged, will encourage other large retailers to follow suit.

And that, of course, is precisely the point of the Home Depot-La Raza partnership. Home Depot's support helps La Raza further establish itself as the leading Latino grievance lobby (and it can't hurt the Reconquista, either!). La Raza's support gives Home Depot the dubious bragging right of being more "diverse" than its competitors. And who knows: perhaps Home Depot also imagines that it will somehow get a lock on its illegal alien clientele in this way (if so, they're sorely deluded: illegals don't care about politics).

There must be a lot of money involved, in any case. Why else would square-jawed super-protector Tom Ridge, lately of the Department of Homeland Security, be in on the act?

Kudos to Save Our State. It's only by making ourselves inconvenient that us humble citizens have a chance of getting the nation's board rooms and state capitals to change course. That, and no longer shopping at Home Depot. The local hardware store was much nicer anyhow...