Wall Street Journal
By Laura Meckler
April 8, 2014
A
rally on the National Mall is planned for Wednesday as activists
continue to press Congress to act on stalled immigration legislation.
A
bus tour called “Fast for Families” is completing its seven-week
journey through more than 80 congressional districts. Its leaders will
join a group of about 100 women
who are fasting for two days, also demanding congressional action.
The
immigration rights activism stems from a 22-day fast last November and
December, led by Eliseo Medina of the Service Employees International
Union. He then led the
bus tour, which is making its way to Washington, and said Tuesday that
he believes visits to members of Congress and their staff are making a
difference.
“For
the first time ever, a huge number of primarily Republican members of
Congress have had to engage in a conversation on the issue,” he said.
“We got them thinking.”
Immigration
legislation encompasses a variety of issues. Activists are focused on
winning legal status and a path to citizenship for nearly 12 million
people in the U.S.
illegally.
House
Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) has said he would like the House to
take up immigration changes, but he has yet to bring any legislation to
the floor. Many House
Republicans have signaled that they could support legal status and even
the chance for citizenship, but there is reluctance to take a divisive
issue up in an election year.
Midterm congressional elections are this fall.
Mr.
Medina’s group fasted for another four days last week in the district
of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R., Va.). The group also visited
Fort Smith, Ark.; Tuscaloosa,
Ala.; and Greenville, S.C.
“These are not what you would call the center of the immigrant rights movement,” Mr. Medina said.
Several
Democrats in Congress were visiting the two-day women’s fast on the
Mall, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.).
For more information, go to: www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com
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