KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Thousands of Hispanics gathered Monday in front of the federal courthouse and joined other protesters from across the country calling for Congress to reject a bill that would crack down on illegal immigrants.

Many in the crowd wore white shirts, waved American and Mexican flags and chanted "Si se puede," or "Yes we can." They carried signs that read "We are America," "So tell me who are the real immigrants?" and "The Answer is Legalization."

Children played in a reflecting pool and mothers pushed babies in strollers as speakers urged members of Congress to push for a law that would provide a route to citizenship for immigrants and reunite families.

The rally was one of many across the country, from New York to San Diego. Immigration reform has received increased attention after the House passed a bill that would crack down on illegal immigrants and strengthen the nation's border with Mexico. A broader overhaul of immigration law stalled in the Senate last week.

Monday marked the second time in a month that Hispanic communities rallied in Kansas City and in other cities to protest immigration proposals.

"Because of the American dream. We all want to be called citizens and not called felons," demonstrator Raul Murguil told KMBC.

Murguil said he came to the United States illegally several decades ago, but he is now a U.S. citizen.

"The laws were so different ... The rules have changed," Murguil said.

"I think what people here -- undocumented aliens -- are looking for is reform that is fair," demonstrator Paola Islas said.

"They don't come to murder and steal. They come to work, and their parents have built America, too," demonstrator Mary Clark said.

"These are the people putting food on your table and clothes on your back," said Lynda M. Callon, director of Westside Community Action Network Center, one of the organizers of the Kansas City event. "They are not invisible. We are trying to get Washington to see that you can't fix the borders unless you figure out what to do with the people who are here."

Pinpinela Martinez, a 20-year-old restaurant worker, said she crossed the desert five years ago to come to the U.S. Now with a 7-month-old daughter who was born in the United States, she is worried about what would happen if she is deported.

"America will help her because she was born here," she said of her daughter, "but they don't help me because I wasn't born here."

The Rev. Francis Schuele told the crowd immigration reform needs to be done in a way that doesn't break up families.

"We Catholics believe that immigration is a moral issue because it impacts human life and dignity. Only a comprehensive approach will solve the problem and create a humane immigration system in our nation," he said.

Rafael Pinedo, 39, an American citizen who immigrated when he was 17, attended the rally with his two children, ages 6 and 8.

"I want my kids to see this kind of thing," he said. "I want them to know how hard it is. It's not easy for us to come to a new country and start a new life and things like this (the Senate bill) make it a lot worse."

Like Pinedo, Alicia Sanchez, 32, is legal. But she said it was important to support the cause of other Hispanics.

"It's like they said, 'We are a sleeping giant,"' said Sanchez, who immigrated to the United States from Chile when she was a toddler. "We are ones who make the economy in the country. We need to step up to the plate."

In Kansas, thousands of Hispanics across the state closed their businesses, walked off jobs and skipped classes Monday to join nationwide demonstrations in support of immigration rights.

In Garden City, about 3,000 supporters carried signs urging rights for immigrants. In Emporia, some Hispanic businesses closed down for the day to march in demonstrations. In Topeka, they gathered at the statehouse. In Wichita, a throng of around 4,000 protesters spanned several downtown blocks as they marched from city hall and through the city's downtown.

Among them was Meriam Janet, 25, who came with her 4-year-old son, Jesus. She works as a cleaning woman in Wichita and has been living in the United States illegally for 10 years.

She said she wants the to be able to get a work visa, and hoped something good came out of the rally.

"We don't come here to take anybody's job," Janet said in Spanish. "We come to do the work that others can't or wouldn't do."

Demonstrators waved U.S. and Mexican flags, carried signs, sang the Star Spangled Banner and chanted "Si se puede," or "Yes we can." Scrawled on the signs were slogans such as "We are not criminals," "We need to stop living in fear," "We pay taxes," among others.

Gabriel Soto, 35, brought his wife and three children to the rally. Soto, who works as a tree trimmer in Wichita, readily acknowledges he, too, is an undocumented worker living in the United States for 18 years. Two of his children were born in this country. He said the immigrant rallies were an opportunity to get Hispanics together and try to change immigration laws.

"All I do is work -- and stay out of trouble," Soto said.

At the outskirts of the crowd, two demonstrators stood apart at the request of police, but were mostly unnoticed by the immigrant supporters. One carried a sign saying "Invading America is our civil right" and the other sign declared "Laws we don't need stinking laws."

Gerry Domitrovic, a Wichita lawyer, said he came out because he felt at least one or two Americans should come out and say no to the immigrants: "I should be playing golf instead of doing this," he said.

Lawmakers would probably eventually cave in to immigrant demands because they will be afraid to be labeled racists.

"They are afraid to say no," Domitrovic said.

Other Hispanics showed up in support of their brethren.

Guadalupe Freeman, a U.S.-born citizen, clutched her Kansas driver's license as she and thousands of others marched in front of the Wichita offices of U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts. She said immigrants should be able to get a driver's license and other documentation needed to work.

In Topeka, hundreds of people crowded the south steps of the Statehouse for the city's pro-immigrant rally. Participants held signs that said, "We bring honor to America," and "We came to work in peace."

Tammy Guerrero, a Topeka teacher, came to the rally with her husband's six children, ages 8 to 15, all American citizens. Their father, Geraldo Ortiz, faces deportation, she said, even though he's lived in the United States for 17 years.

"After 17 years of paying taxes, shouldn't he be a citizen?" she said.

Jesus Rivera had both American and Mexican flags draped across his shoulders, and a pair of handcuffs dangling from his right arm. The 19-year-old works two jobs as a cook, and worries that he might be caught and deported.

Rivera and his family came to the United States from Juarez, Mexico, when he was only 10, because, "We wanted a better life." "I love living here," he said. "I love America."

The impacts were felt in some meatpacking plants, where Hispanic workers comprise much of the work force.

Excel Corp., the nation's second-largest beef processor, said Monday the company noticed a slowdown in production at its plants in Dodge City and Schuyler, Neb., because of immigration rallies in those cities. The company declined to disclose exact attendance figures at those two plants, but said its other plants were unaffected.

"I wouldn't want to say how much production has been slowed, but it has been slowed. Definitely," said Excel spokesman Mark Klein.

Creekstone Farms Premium Beef shut down its Arkansas City plant Monday because management thought workers should be able to protest a U.S. House bill that would make it a felony to be an illegal immigrant and would build a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border. Three-fourths of the company's workers are Hispanic.

Tyson also closed its plant near Holcomb. Fewer than 10 of the more than 100 facilities the company owns were closed because of the potential absence of workers due to the immigration rallies and market conditions, said company spokesman Gary Mickelson. Most Tyson plants ran regular shifts, although there were reports of higher than usual absenteeism at some locations.

In Garden City, a morning rally brought out an estimated 3,000 people, making their voices heard as Congress considers immigration reforms. Signs demanded an end to racism and discrimination, and some showed pictures of uniformed Hispanic military personnel.

About 20 percent of the students in Garden City schools were absent from classes Monday to attend the rally in that city, far above the 4 percent normal absentee rate, said Roy Cessna, spokesman for the district. About 60 percent of the more than 7,300 students in Garden City's public schools are Hispanic.

Donalda and Rony Martinez told The Garden City Telegram they brought their own four children and two other children to the Garden City rally after calling the schools to tell them they were taking them to the rally.

"I think it is important our children participate in this and understand what's happening," said Donalda Martinez.

Among those attending the Garden City rally was Andrea Hernandez, a 33-year-old illegal immigrant who has lived in the United States for three years. Her two U.S.-born children are citizens.

"There are many people like us, who come here to work, to try to give our children a better life than we've had," Hernandez said. "We work, we follow the laws, we stay out of trouble. There are citizens who break more laws than we do. All we want is a chance."

The Kansas events came as Congress considers legislation on immigration reform and were part of a national day of action billed as a "campaign for immigrants' dignity."