Over 500 people involved in a nationwide network of immigrants who are frustrated with the continual foot-dragging of Republicans in the House of Representatives on the issue of immigration reform have made the decision to focus their protests on President Barack Obama in a bid to try to force him to take unilateral action to put an end to deportations.
After endless months of sit-in demonstrations, rallies and lobbying, there has still been no movement in the House of Representatives in regards to offering a path to US citizenship to undocumented immigrants already living and working in the United States, and the young people who came to Phoenix over the weekend in order to attend United We Dream’s annual congress say they are disappointed with both of the major political parties.
Earlier this year President Obama made a pledge to make use of his pen and phone in the event of Congress failing to move forward with his agenda, and now the activists are demanding that he take action to increase legal protection for those immigrants who do not have legal papers.
“The community we work with is telling us that these deportations are ripping our families apart; this has to stop,” says Cristina Jimenez, the managing director of the biggest organization of immigrants that grew up in the United States after arriving as children but still do not have any legal status. “And we know the President has the power to do it.”