Immigration reform advocates earlier this year vowed to further step up the pressure on House Republicans to pass immigration reform, and — in the words of Elise Foley — “it looks like Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) might not get to eat breakfast in peace until the House addresses immigration reform.”
The mother of a DREAMer interrupted Speaker Boehner at his favorite DC diner this morning to accuse him of breaking “the dream of DREAMers” by passing bills like the ENFORCE Act while ignoring the urgent need to pass immigration reform. The mom, Veronica Zavaleta, is an activist with the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition and said:
Speaker Boehner, I just want to ask you why you want to break the dream of the Dreamers, of the students. Can you please express your opinion about that? One second. Just one second. I really want to know why you have broken the dream of the Dreamers.
In a later statement, Veronica also added:
With Speaker Boehner leading his caucus to a vote to deport hundreds of thousands of dreamers and separate them from their families last night, I just tried to ask him why. Speaker Boehner is a father, and I am horrified that he would support legislation that takes our children from us. Instead of yielding control to the far-right wing, Speaker Boehner should vote to keep families together and pass comprehensive immigration reform.
The episode this morning hearkens back to last fall, when two young activists accosted the Speaker in the same diner over breakfast to tell him to pass immigration reform. Advocates also protested outside Boehner’s DC office, his district office, and held a sunrise vigil outside his DC rowhouse.
Watch video of Veronica and John Boehner from this morning, below:
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