Thousands plan May 1 marches in US in heated election year

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Thousands are expected to rally in cities across the United States on Sunday for immigrant and worker rights and against what they see as hateful presidential campaign rhetoric.

Events are planned in cities from New York to Los Angeles to call for better wages for workers, an end to deportations and support for an Obama administration plan to give work permits to immigrants in the country illegally whose children are American citizens.

In the United States, the annual events have become a rallying point for immigrants and their supporters since massive demonstrations in 2006 against a proposed immigration enforcement bill.