BAKERSFIELD, CA - Members of a multi-faith organization in Bakersfield called for immigration reform Monday. Faith in Action held a rally outside the federal building downtown to kick off its 'Campaign for Citizenship'.
Faith In Action is trying to raise awareness about immigration reform and is urging Congress to grant millions of undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship. Eleven million people work and live in the United States as illegal immigrants. According to Faith In Action, two-thirds have lived here for more than a decade.
"We are trying to show support to let the community know that the time is now. We need citizenship for eleven million new Americans. We cannot wait any longer and we need earned citizenship now," said student Lorena Lara.
Faith In Action believes that earned citizenship is the correct moral response to the country's broken immigration system.
In Washington, the House is in the final stages of finishing up a bipartisan immigration reform bill, as the Senate is working on a broader immigration bill. Both bills would strengthen border security, provide amnesty to certain people, and increase immigration caps. Both bills should be up for debate this summer.
On Monday, the Republican National Committee released a post-election report that says one of the GOP's main priorities now is bolstering support from the Hispanic community and supporting immigration reform.
