Immigration advocates urge Arizona congressmen to push vote

GLENDALE, Ariz. — They have prayed. They have fasted. Now, they’re visiting congressional offices across 18 states, including the Glendale office of Rep. Trent Franks and the Gilbert office of Rep. Matt Salmon.

“The American people have spoken loud and clear. They want a solution,” said Elisao Medina with Fast for Families Across America.

The group delivered letters to both offices asking the Arizona Republicans to push House leadership to vote on immigration reform. The U.S. Senate approved a reform bill last year with the help of Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake.

“It comes down to a vote of moral courage,” said Donna Cheung who represented the Arizona chapters of the Japanese-American Citizens League and National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum. “People in Arizona still think of immigration as a Latino issue and we know as Asian-Americans that immigration reform affects all communities and we know this because one in ten Asians is a Dreamer and the second largest group of the undocumented are Asians.”

The group claims it has history on its side.

“We are strengthened both by our faith, but also by what we have seen in history,” said Medina. “You know we saw the huge change that came about with the launching of the civil rights movement. We saw the big change that happened with the launching of the women’s movement. We saw what happened when Cesar Chavez and the farmworkers launched their movement and we know that people who are willing to sacrifice and work hard eventually prevail.”

The group launched a bus tour two weeks ago from Los Angeles. It will end in Washington, D.C. on April 9.