Immigrant Work Stoppages May Affect Calif. Ports, Trucking

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housands of illegal immigrants and their supporters around the country are planning demonstrations and staying off the job Monday, and many industries, including trucking, are bracing for the impacts, news reports said.

In California, trucking companies were preparing for the possibility that warehouse workers who unload and sort deliveries would not report to work, which could lead to a ripple effect on the state’s busy ports, the Los Angeles Times reported.

tephanie Williams, senior vice president of the California Trucking Association, told the Times the stoppages could lead to a “pretty big mess.”

A spokeswoman for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) said work boycotts would “hurt everyone,” while Democratic state senators passed a resolution supporting walkouts, the Associated Press reported.

A Port of Long Beach spokesman said hundreds or possibly thousands of truckers may not show up to haul cargo Monday, AP reported.