Jan. 27, 2014 - Fast for
Families, a coalition of faith, immigrant, labor and civil rights
groups which is pushing Congress "to enact commonsense immigration
reform with a path to citizenship," announced that it will be taking
its campaign to more than 100 congressional districts in the coming
months. In November and December some members of Fast for
Families
fasted for 22 days out of a tent on the National Mall, drawing visits
from members of Congress and even President Obama and First Lady
Michelle Obama. Participating in the announcement were Rev. Jim
Wallis, president and founder of Sojourners, Eliseo Medina, former
Secretary-Treasurer of SEIU, Rev. John McCullough, president and CEO of
Church World Service, Dae Joon Yoon, executive director of NAKASEC and
Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner, co-chair of the National African America
Clergy Network; Father Mike Pucke of St. Julie's Billiart Catholic
Parish in Hamilton, Ohio, joined via internet livestream.
Reflecting back to 2012 when the self-deportation was discussed, Medina
said, "We've come a long way." "If they [the House] call a vote,
we will have immigration reform this year," he said. Wallis said
politicians typically hold their fingers to the wind. "You change
the wind, [and] it's remarkable how quickly they change," he
said. "We are a wind-changing group."
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