UFW targets Republicans on immigration reform
June 05, 2014 | 06:03 PM
The United Farm Workers held rallies and civil disobedience actions Wednesday to encourage 28 House Republicans to support immigration reform.
With the anniversary of the first House vote to deport DREAMers — the students who lack legal status — approaching, the UFW said in a news release it was “reminding key House Republicans that it’s now or never for the GOP on immigration: either pass immigration reform before the legislative window closes or the president uses his executive authority and Republicans kiss the White House — and eventually Congress — goodbye for good.”
Arturo Rodriguez
“It’s been nearly a year since the U.S. Senate passed the bipartisan immigration bill, and during that time, House Republicans have used nearly every excuse in the book as to why they can’t finish the job and pass comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship,” UFW President Arturo Rodriguez said during a national press call from outside the district office of House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.
“Since the Senate passed their bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill, the only immigration votes the House has taken have been to undo DACA [Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals] and deport DREAMers — three times,” added Astrid Silva, immigration organizer for the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada.
“We have had enough of congressional inaction. It’s time for Congressman [Joe] Heck [R-Nev.] to put some actions behind his words and do everything in his power to hold on a vote on immigration reform,” Silva said. “Well-choreographed meetings and stern letters won't do much for the thousands of undocumented immigrants in Nevada who live in limbo waiting for Congress to act.”
The UFW said five activists were arrested outside Heck’s office when his staff called the police.
In Raleigh, N.C., outside the office of Rep. George Holding, R-N.C., a group of children built a Lego tower, symbolizing a call to stop “blocking” and “playing around” with immigration reform, the UFW said.
The Alliance for Citizenship also placed ads in the Orlando Sentinel in the district of Rep. Daniel Webster, R-Fla., the Las Vegas Sun in Heck’s district and the Bakersfield Californian in McCarthy’s district.
Here are the Republican House district offices targeted by the UFW:
With the anniversary of the first House vote to deport DREAMers — the students who lack legal status — approaching, the UFW said in a news release it was “reminding key House Republicans that it’s now or never for the GOP on immigration: either pass immigration reform before the legislative window closes or the president uses his executive authority and Republicans kiss the White House — and eventually Congress — goodbye for good.”
“It’s been nearly a year since the U.S. Senate passed the bipartisan immigration bill, and during that time, House Republicans have used nearly every excuse in the book as to why they can’t finish the job and pass comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship,” UFW President Arturo Rodriguez said during a national press call from outside the district office of House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.
“Since the Senate passed their bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill, the only immigration votes the House has taken have been to undo DACA [Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals] and deport DREAMers — three times,” added Astrid Silva, immigration organizer for the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada.
“We have had enough of congressional inaction. It’s time for Congressman [Joe] Heck [R-Nev.] to put some actions behind his words and do everything in his power to hold on a vote on immigration reform,” Silva said. “Well-choreographed meetings and stern letters won't do much for the thousands of undocumented immigrants in Nevada who live in limbo waiting for Congress to act.”
The UFW said five activists were arrested outside Heck’s office when his staff called the police.
In Raleigh, N.C., outside the office of Rep. George Holding, R-N.C., a group of children built a Lego tower, symbolizing a call to stop “blocking” and “playing around” with immigration reform, the UFW said.
The Alliance for Citizenship also placed ads in the Orlando Sentinel in the district of Rep. Daniel Webster, R-Fla., the Las Vegas Sun in Heck’s district and the Bakersfield Californian in McCarthy’s district.
Here are the Republican House district offices targeted by the UFW:
- Arizona — Rep. Matt Salmon
- California — House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, Rep. David Valadao, Rep. Jeff Denham, Rep. Buck McKeon
- Colorado — Rep. Cory Gardner, Rep. Mike Coffman
- Florida — Rep. Daniel Webster, Rep. Dennis Ross
- Michigan — Rep. Justin Amash
- New Mexico — Rep. Steve Pearce
- Nevada — Rep. Joe Heck, Rep. Mark Amodei
- North Carolina — Rep. George Holding
- New York — Rep. Michael Grimm
- Ohio — Speaker John Boehner
- Oregon — Rep. Greg Walden
- Texas — Rep. Ted Poe, Rep. Lamar Smith
- Washington — Rep. Doc Hastings
