The protesters claim the Department of Homeland Security has stepped up work site enforcement that is aimed at hard working employees instead of the worst of the worst employers that were supposed to be the focus.
"We're really giving the message that we want hope, not fear," said Denise Solis with SEIU United Service Workers. "We don't want fear in our communities; at our work sites we want there to be hope for the American dream which is what we're all fighting for.
Monday's rally outside the federal building is part of the Justice for Janitors campaign.
The group believes enforcement-only immigration efforts have created an underground economy of undocumented workers that ultimately pushes down wages and working conditions.
