All over the United States the push for immigration reform continues unabated, from the West Coast to Washington DC. An important front in the battle for reform has been the Central Valley of California, which plays host to one of the country’s biggest populations of undocumented immigrants.
On Sunday, December 1st, one of the most important cultural hubs in the region, Fresno State University, was the site of the most recent gathering of advocates for immigration reform. Local faith leaders, together with a group that is affiliated with the organization known as Fast for Families, which was responsible for a number of hunger strikes across the United States last month, staged a candlelight vigil in Fresno to promote the need for legislation about immigration reform.
The Fresno State event also marked the end of a month-long hunger strike that took place in Central Valley and various cities throughout the United States. Participants hoped to put pressure on Congress to push them into passing a comprehensive immigration reform bill that would include a pathway to citizenship for around 11 million undocumented immigrants that are currently living in the country.
Faith leaders from all across the United States have also joined the cause, with many engaging in partial fasts themselves to demonstrate their solidarity with the movement in support of immigration reform. That effort has been combined with a letter-writing campaign where stories are told of members of their own congregations that are living in fear of being deported.