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More than a dozen area pastors will gather in Washington D.C., today, as part of a national effort to encourage Congress to pass immigration reform before the end of the year.

Carl Ruby, executive director of WelcomeSpringfield.org, painted the issue as a moral obligation and said the countrys current laws are harmful to local families.

The local group will gather with hundreds of other pastors nationally in an event called Pastors for Reform, sponsored by the Evangelical Immigration Table. However, opponents argued action is unlikely this year because many Republican voters oppose making such sweeping reforms and because of skepticism that the laws would be enforced.

The issue was highlighted recently when Republican House Speaker John Boehner, whose district includes Springfield, drew criticism for comments he made at a Middletown Rotary Club meeting earlier this month. Boehner imitated his fellow House Republicans whining, and said his colleagues dont have the appetite to deal with the issue because its too difficult.

Members of the Springfield group plan to meet today with Boehner, along with Congressmen Mike Turner, and U.S. Representatives Brad Wenstrup, Steve Chabot and Pat Tiberi.

The pastors will push for reforms they argue will improve national security, but also keep families intact and eventually provide a way for immigrants to earn citizenship after they have paid fines and waited behind others who are currently trying to enter the country legally. Rubys group, WelcomeSpringfield.org, encourages immigrant workers to move to the area and start businesses to help revitalize the regions economy.

We believe that justice for people who are waiting for immigration reform has taken too long, Ruby said.

While some reform is needed, the comprehensive proposal that was passed several months ago in the U.S. Senate will likely remain stalled in the U.S. House, said Jon Feere, legal policy analyst for the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington, D.C. The non-profit agency advocates for tighter immigration controls.

Despite Boehners comments, voter opposition to the Senate proposals is the reason reforms have seen little support in the U.S. House, Feere said. He argued previous reforms have led to increased immigration, but little enforcement.

Thats why I think its very unlikely that well see any type of legislation prior to the mid-terms, Feere said. After the mid-terms its a whole different ballgame, but I think that most members of Congress who are up for reelection are not interested in having this debate any time soon.

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Pastors to advocate for immigration reform

U.S. Rep. Joe Garcia (FL-26) along with U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23) and others call on House Republicans during a press conference to allow a vote on H.R. 15, as well as discussing what immigration reform would mean for residents in South F

Original post | 12:19 p.m.

Updated | 2:36 p.m., 3:21 p.m. and 3:33 p.m.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Weston, chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, pushed Monday for two key issues that could help decide how enthusiastic Hispanic voters are this year and which party they end up favoring.

At a news conference at Hispanic Unity of Florida in Hollywood Wasserman Schultz said:

U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, must put immigration reform legislation on the floor of the House for a vote. She said she was delivering a simple message to Boehner. Allow the House to vote on comprehensive immigration reform without delay.

Wasserman Schultz said the immigration reform legislation is common sense and ready to go. It would reduce the deficit, strengthen the nations borders, and improve the economy and improve the lives of many people living in the U.S. She called it the moral thing to do for millions of our brothers and sisters living in the shadows.

Wasserman Schultz was joined at the event by U.S. Rep. Joe Garcia, D-Miami. He said theres no area in the United States that would benefit more from comprehensive immigration reform than South Florida.

The Florida Senate must pass a measure granting in-state tuition for state college and university students who were brought to the U.S. years ago. Wasserman Schultz ridiculed Republican Gov. Rick Scotts claim that he supports the legislation. Hes exercised exactly zero leadership, she said. This is squarely in the Republicans court and I hope they dont let the legislative session expire on Friday without taking it up and sending it to the governor.

Josie Bacallao, president and CEO of Hispanic Unity, said its an important issue for many people in South Florida.

See original here:
Wasserman Schultz demands action on immigration reform

Boehner Mocks GOP Colleagues on Immigration Reform
House Speaker John Boehner, who has said he #39;s "hell-bent" on passing immigration reform this year, mocked his GOP colleagues in an appearance in his home sta...

By: Newsroom

Excerpt from:
Boehner Mocks GOP Colleagues on Immigration Reform - Video

Boehner mocks own party on immigration
John Boehner opened up about what he really thinks is holding up immigration reform: fellow Republicans!

By: CNN

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Boehner mocks own party on immigration - Video

UNDER THE RADAR. There are an estimated 11 million people living in the United States illegally. They are fighting for legislation to legalize their status

MANILA, Philippines In a December 2013 White House press briefing, US President Barack Obama told reporters immigration reform is "the biggest thing that I wanted to get done this year. Obama admits that the system is broken.

The problem? Too many employers game the system by hiring undocumented workers and there are 11 million people living in the shadows. Neither is good for the economy or the country, read the White Houses statement on immigration reform.

As clich as it may sound, America was a country built on immigrants, with immigrants still significantly contributing to the growth of the US economy.

There are an estimated 3 to 4 million documented Filipinos and Filipino Americans living in the United States.

But despite glorification of immigrant contributions in political speeches and other media, how immigrants are actually treated is a different story. Undocumented immigrants are often portrayed now as criminals and drug addicts, and are treated as 'undesirable.'

According to Pew Research, convicted criminals made up 59% of the removals in 2013, there are at least 4,150,000 undocumented immigrants who had no prior criminal offenses.

Undocumented Filipinos

Immigration reform is not just a Latino issue. According to latest media reports, at least 300,000 Filipinos are living in the United States without proper documentation and are facing removal from the United States this year.

One measure Filipino groups are pushing to alleviate the number of deportations includes Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Filipinos. TPS would benefit over 200,000 "out-of-status" Filipinos in the US, but the government has yet to evaluate this request.

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Waiting for a sign: Obama, Pinoys and US immigration reform