A group of Catholic nuns campaigning for support of the attempts to reform the immigration system in the United States have set off from New Jersey on board a bus for a cross-country journey. The nuns, who come from the group known as Network, left on Wednesday from New Jersey, which looks over the water to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, where in the 19th and 20th centuries close to eight million immigrants were processed.
Organizers say that they are backing the proposed legal overhaul that is intended to open the door to US citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants who currently have no legal status despite living and working in the country. A big step was taken by the draft law earlier this month when bipartisan approval was given by a Senate panel.
“We are going on the road for immigration reform,” says Sister Simone Campbell. “Our immigration system is broken and we have a chance to make a difference… An important piece of legislation has passed out of committee in the Senate and we want to make sure it goes all the way to law.”
A similar road trip was performed in 2012 in a campaign against government budget cuts that targeted the poor, and now the 25-strong group is expected to cross 15 states, including California, Arizona, Florida, New Mexico and Texas – states where immigration is a source of major concern. The nuns are planning 53 meetings across 40 states.