Student immigrants launch protest vigil at Statehouse

BOSTON (FOX 25 / myfoxboston.com) - A group of undocumented students and their advocates have launched a round-the-clock vigil outside the Massachusetts Statehouse in protest of a state Senate budget amendment calling for stricter measures aimed at illegal immigrants.

Members of The Student Immigrant Movement began their vigil Monday and vowed to sleep under the Statehouse until the Senate withdraws the amendment or Gov. Deval Patrick vetoes it.

Nineteen-year-old Andres Del Castillo said the students have a supply of sleeping bags and candles to keep them going.

The measure passed last month would require companies doing business with the state to verify their workers are in the country legally. It also would create a toll-free phone number to report suspected illegal immigrant workers.

The measure still must survive budget negotiations between the Senate and the House, which narrowly rejected a similar amendment.