In “Pelosi: End raids splitting immigrant families,” the San Francisco Gate describes the powerful 5th stop along the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ “Family Unity Tour,” which is visiting at least 17 cities by the first week of April. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) listened to children’s testimonies of being torn from their parents and spoke before approximately 500 family members and advocates gathered in St. Anthony’s Church in San Francisco’s Mission District.
The Speaker,” who has said securing U.S. borders is a top priority, used the forum to call for a comprehensive immigration program that recognizes the broad contributions immigrants have made to the fabric of the country,” according to the San Francisco Gate. She argued the case passionately:
“Our future is about our children.”
No matter if those families arrived two days ago or centuries ago, Pelosi said “that opportunity, that determination, that hope has made American more American.”
She said, “Taking parents from their children … that’s un-American.”
The crowd swelled as the Tour’s chief organizer, Congressman Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), spoke about the urgency of reform and children testified about the perils of being taken from their parents.
Ivan Torres, a 9-year-old boy from San Jose, said he lives in fear that his father, who earns a living cleaning offices, will be taken away: “If (my father) is deported, who will pay the bills? Who will take care of me and my two sisters? We need to keep families together.”
Want to join the Familias Unidas, or “Family Unity” Tour? Check out the full tour page or the tour’s twitter updates.
