It’s the penultimate week of August recess, and immigration reform supporters across the country are continuing to pressure Congress every single day to pass immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship. As Jeremy Robbins of the Partnership for a New American Economy said this week, advocates aren’t just winning in deep blue and heavily immigrant districts. We’re also winning the fight this August in “very gerrymandered, extremely Republican, extremely conservative Tea Party strongholds. That we are a winning force in those is a huge statement and a big momentum buildup for us going into the fall.”
Here’s some of what happened in immigration reform this week:
- Rep. Luis Gutierrez and Virginia Organizing turned out four hundred advocates for immigration reform when he came to speak at Harrisonburg, Virginia this week. Reportedly, four anti-immigrant protesters showed up to the event–one of whom was wearing a gun and was overheard saying that he had 30 rounds of ammunition
- The PICO California pilgrimage traveled to Fresno, California on their way to wrapping up the 285-mile walk next week
- In Arizona, a Pilgrimage for Citizenship traveled through Tucson, Yuma, and San Luis on their way through a four-city tour
- In Washington this week, many who joined the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington–and many who held echo events around the country–also used the opportunity to call for immigration reform
- Nearly a hundred advocates turned out for a March for Citizenship in St. Charles, Missouri–organized by the Missouri Immigrant and Refugee Advocates
- Senate Gang of 8 members John McCain and Jeff Flake held a conversation on immigration reform in Arizona, where they reiterated their support for a path to citizenship. Outside, advocates demonstrated their support
- Nebraska Appleseed this week put pressure on Republican Reps. Jeff Fortenberry, Lee Terry, and Adrian Smith to support citizenship, by delivering postcards from Nebraskans supporting immigration reform and pictures drawn by Nebraskan children whose families have been separated
- In Texas, OFA-Texas and Mi Familia Vota Texas called for Republican Reps. Pete Sessions and Ted Poe to support immigration reform and a path to citizenship
- In Nevada, Mi Familia Vota Nevada canvassed in Rep. Joe Heck‘s district
- In Minnesota, the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee left a chair out for Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-MN) for when he agrees to sit down with his constituents on immigration reform
- In Illinois, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights repeatedly occupied the office of Rep. Peter Roskam to demand a vote for immigration reform
- In southwest Florida, the Florida Immigrant Coalition organized a Farmworker Caravan for immigration reform and citizenship
- In Iowa today, constituents are preparing to visit Rep. Tom Latham (R-IA)’s office
- In Washington state, Rep. Doc Hasting‘s constituents are still waiting to meet with him
- In Colorado, Rep. Mike Coffman (R-CO)’s constituents delivered 300 pledge cards for citizenship
- In Pennsylvania, advocates asked Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-PA) not to separate families
- In Tennessee, immigration reform supporters asked Reps. Chuck Fleischmann and Scott Desjarlais to get immigration reform done
- This week, Obama for America also asked immigration reform supporters to tweet pictures of themselves explaining who they #StandWith when it comes to immigration reform. View those pictures here.
View photos of the week in immigration below. And view photos of this summer in immigration reform here.
