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Immigration reform advocates speak to reporters outside the Glendale office of Rep. Trent Franks. (KTAR Photo/Christina Estes)

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- They have prayed. They have fasted. Now, they're visiting congressional offices across 18 states, including the Glendale office of Rep. Trent Franks and the Gilbert office of Rep. Matt Salmon.

"The American people have spoken loud and clear. They want a solution," said Elisao Medina with Fast for Families Across America.

The group delivered letters to both offices asking the Arizona Republicans to push House leadership to vote on immigration reform. The U.S. Senate approved a reform bill last year with the help of Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake.

"It comes down to a vote of moral courage," said Donna Cheung who represented the Arizona chapters of the Japanese-American Citizens League and National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum. "People in Arizona still think of immigration as a Latino issue and we know as Asian-Americans that immigration reform affects all communities and we know this because one in ten Asians is a Dreamer and the second largest group of the undocumented are Asians."

The group claims it has history on its side.

"We are strengthened both by our faith, but also by what we have seen in history," said Medina. "You know we saw the huge change that came about with the launching of the civil rights movement. We saw the big change that happened with the launching of the women's movement. We saw what happened when Cesar Chavez and the farmworkers launched their movement and we know that people who are willing to sacrifice and work hard eventually prevail."

The group launched a bus tour two weeks ago from Los Angeles. It will end in Washington, D.C. on April 9.

Christina Estes, Reporter

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Immigration advocates urge Arizona congressmen to push vote

The advocacy group linked to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is going after House Republicans with a new ad prodding them to act on immigration reform this year.

The 60-second spot called Do Nothing, released Monday, takes a notably tougher tone against the House GOP by putting blame on Republicans for stalling reform in Congress this year. The ad buy from the Council for American Job Growth, an affiliate of the Zuckerberg-backed FWD.us, totals about $500,000 and will run in all 50 states for two weeks, according to a person familiar with the buy.

No one debates we need to fix our broken immigration system. Republican leaders know it. Theyve even said so time and again, the ads narrator says. So why are House Republicans cooling, retreating and even privately saying theyd rather do nothing this year?

(PHOTOS: An immigration naturalization ceremony)

The ad argues that inaction on immigration reform puts jobs on ice and makes the country lose tax revenue that could be used to fund education and infrastructure projects. It also invokes so-called Dreamers, who were brought to the United States as children and are generally the most sympathetic group of undocumented immigrants.

Doing nothing on reform sends a message to millions of Dreamers who study hard and want to serve our country: They might as well dream on, the ads narrator says. The spot closes by urging viewers to call House Republicans and pressure them to pass immigration reform.

House Republican leaders unveiled a one-page list of principles for reform in January, but a rewrite of the nations immigration laws have largely been put on hold amid protests from conservatives about taking up the politically sensitive issue in an election year. GOP lawmakers also say their deep-rooted distrust of President Barack Obama makes them reticent about passing new immigration laws a reason that Democrats and other pro-reform advocates have largely dismissed as an excuse.

But leadership hasnt completely frozen the prospects of immigration reform. Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), who threw cold water on the prospects of an overhaul last month, told a forum in Piqua, Ohio, over the weekend that he was still committed to solving the issue.

I didnt suggest it was going to be easy, I know its going to be hard thats why its still hanging around, Boehner said then, according to a report from Civitas Media. So for the last 15 months, Ive been trying to move the ball down the field, only to be tackled by people that just dont want to deal with it.

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Facebook-linked group pushes GOP

Group co-founded by Facebook CEO slams Republicans for doing "nothing" on immigration

An issues advocacy group co-founded by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg launched a new round of ads Monday to put pressure on House Republicans who have decided to do nothing this year on immigration reform.The $500,000 spot by FWD.us is scheduled to air in every state for two weeks, according to the Associated Press.

No one debates that we need to fix our broken immigration system, says a female voiceover, while a Washington Post article titled GOP Leaders Agree: Immigration System Needs to Be Fixed, Butflashes across the screen. So why are House Republicans cooling, retreating, and even privately saying they would rather do nothing this year?

One answeris that fixing immigration reform has little popular support. A Pew study released in January shows that the issue is sixteenthon the U.S. publics top priorities listbehind reducing the influence of lobbyists, protecting the environment and dealing with the nations energy problem. While FWD.us has released a report showing thatRepublican congressmen have rarely lost primaries over immigration, the conference still wants to avoid such a hot button issue during an election year.

The ad is paid for through a progressive arm of FWD.us, the Council for American Job Growth,which has bankrolled ads supporting vulnerable Senate Democrats, including North Carolinas Kay Hagan, Alaskas Mark Begich and West Virginias Joe Manchin.

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Zuckerberg Group Slams GOP

Pear grower says industry needs immigration reform
By Jessica De Nova/KTVL.comCENTRAL POINT, Ore.-Pear grower, Ron Meyer, said he took advantage of Representative Walden #39;s visit to thank him for his work on t...

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Alex Sink: immigration reform for people to "clean our hotel rooms" and "do our landscaping." - Video