Massive immigration protests hit U.S.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - From the streets of New York to the lettuce fields of California, hundreds of thousands of immigrants left their jobs, shunned business as usual and marched in a powerful bid to legitimize millions of workers now in the United States illegally. 

In what may have been the largest outpouring the land has seen on the divisive issue, hundreds of restaurants, factories and other shops closed, construction projects were disrupted, day labor jobs went begging, children stayed home from school and massive waves of humanity poured through city streets.