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Today in Grant Park an expected 5,000 people will march to end immigration raids/deportations and gain legalization for the 12 million illegals in the U.S.

I'm reminded of an immigrant I spoke with in a McDonald's in Washington, D.C. I wanted to talk with him about health care, but he told me that he was illegal and that his family was back home in Mexico.

We both boarded the nearby train and he sat two seats in front of me. I watched him stare out of the window and I wondered if he was thinking of his family at that very moment. Was he missing them? Was he thinking about a daughter's birthday party? A son's first soccer ball? A dinner with his family?

I was immediately struck by something that hadn't really occured to me before... courage. Could you imagine leaving your home and country, saying goodbye to the people you love, missing a life with your loved ones, just to earn money and support your family?

I can't. I don't know if I'd have the courage to leave everything behind just to give my family a better life -- risking life and limb to come to this country and work a low-paying job that some teenager would laugh at... simply for my family.

Audio: El-P "Fantastic Damage"