Immigration reform bus tour arrives in Washington this week

The “Fast for Families Across America” campaign for commonsense immigration reform arrives in Washington state this week and will press the Republican members of Washington’s Congressional delegation to back the Latino and immigrant communities by calling for a House vote on immigration reform this year. This national tour will arrive in Vancouver on Tuesday, in Yakima on Wednesday, and Spokane on Thursday.

Union members and other supporters of comprehensive immigration reform are urged to welcome the Fast for Families tour at the following locations:

VANCOUVER — Tuesday, March 4 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, 12513 SE Mill Plain Blvd. For details, contact Rick at 360-253-2874.

YAKIMA — Wednesday, March 5 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, 5 S. Naches Ave. For details, contact Ricardo at 262-716-3431.

SPOKANE — Thursday, March 6 at 6 p.m. at Gonzaga University’s Foley Library (1st floor), 502 E. Boone Ave. For details, contact David at 206-452-8412.

Last November, “Fast for Families” reignited the debate on immigration reform as Eliseo Medina — a labor and civil rights leader — and DREAMER Cristian Avila fasted for 22 days at the doorsteps of the U.S. Capitol. This week’s actions in Washington state are among the many in the “Fast for Families” campaign that is touring more than 100 congressional districts to empower constituents to call on U.S. House members to vote and enact immigration reform with a path to citizenship this year.

BACKGROUND — This year, the U.S. government has come the closest ever to achieving real immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship. In June, the U.S. Senate passed a comprehensive, bipartisan immigration bill (S.744). Now, the House of Representatives has chance to complete the dream for 11 million aspiring Americans by addressing the moral crisis that is our broken immigration system.

Unfortunately, the Republican leadership in the House continues to delay a vote on the one issue that holds strong bipartisan support and is backed by a breadth of communities and groups across the country. Every day the House leadership stalls on a vote for immigration reform, families and communities suffer the impact of deportations, deaths on the border, exploitation at work and the fear of living in the shadows with no path to citizenship.

By fasting, participants in the Fast for Families national tour hope to follow the examples of Cesar Chavez, Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi to touch the compassion and sensibilities of our elected leaders to address the moral crisis of an immigration system that fails to comport with our national values, our creeds and belief in justice.

It’s time to once and for all pass true immigration reform.

For more information, visit the Fast for Families website.