Fox News Latino
September 23, 2015
Standing
there since the wee hours of the morning, when the Popemobile finally
approached her spot on Constitution Avenue, Sofi Cruz went for it: she
slipped through all
the grown-ups in the crowd and started walking somewhat tentatively
toward Pope Francis.
The
5-year-old girl, in pigtails, red-flowered dress and tennis shoes, will
probably never forget this brisk September day in D.C. when the pope
made his fancy car stop
and had her come to him.
“Let her come to me,” he told his security detail with a decisive gesture.
Within
the next few seconds, Sofi Cruz was picked up by one of the suited men
and taken to the pope, who was waiting with a hug in his open-sided
popemobile. She gave
him two things: a T-shirt and a letter her dad gave her asking him to
intercede for all the struggling immigrants in the U.S.
The
T-shirt read: "Pope: rescue DAPA, so the legalization would be your
blessing." It refers to a program called Deferred Action for Parents of Americans, which would
extend deportation protections to parents of U.S. citizens and
permanent residents who have been in the country for some years, but is
on hold after 26 states sued to block it.
The Guardian had the girl read a copy of the letter and posted the audio on its website. It reads:
"Pope
Francis, I want to tell you that my heart is sad and I would like to
ask you to speak with the president and the congress in legalizing my
parents because every
day I am scared that one day they will take them away from me.
"I
believe I have the right to live with my parents. I have the right to
be happy. My dad works very hard in a factory galvanizing pieces of
metal.
"All immigrants just like my dad need this country. They deserve to live with dignity. They deserve to live with respect.
"They
deserve an immigration reform, because it benefits my country and
because they have been working hard harvesting oranges watermelons,
carrots, onions, spinach and
other vegetables."
Sofi
Cruz was part of an advocacy group from Los Angeles, Hermandad Mexicana
Transnacional, that traveled to Washington D.C. for the historic visit.
Sofi
went with her 30-year-old father, Raul, who like her mother, came to
the U.S. from Mexico's southern state of Oaxaca about 10 years ago. Sofi
and her sister were
born in the United States and are therefore American citizens.
"This has filled us with enthusiasm," said Saucedo.
Sofi
and her father will appear at a rally and news conference Wednesday
evening at the Capitol. Rep. Julia Brownley invited Sofi to listen to
the pope's address to Congress
on Thursday.
Cheering
crowds jammed a parade route as Francis made a leisurely loop around
the streets near the White House after his first official activity
Wednesday morning in the
South Lawn.
Along
the heavily guarded parade route, bodyguards also ferried several
babies from behind police barricades to the Jeep for pontifical kisses.
It was his first direct encounter with the American public.
Francis'
next stop after the White House was a worship service with America's
450-strong bishops' conference at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the
Apostle, where he took
note of the clergy sex abuse scandal that erupted in the U.S. in 2002.
The
pope praised the bishops for a "generous commitment to bring healing to
victims" and for acting "without fear of self-criticism."
For more information, go to: www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com
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