Fast for Families Announces Next Phase of Campaign

WASHINGTON, DC - Building on momentum created last year, Fast for Families today announced the next phase of its campaign to enact commonsense immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship. "Fast for Families Across America" will visit more than 100 congressional districts in the coming months to engage constituents in a dialogue about the moral crisis caused by our broken immigration system and encourage them to fast, act and pray.

Fast for Families is a collaboration among a diverse group of allies from the faith, immigrant, labor and civil rights communities and individuals committed to fixing our broken immigration system.

"Last year, we built the broadest, most diverse coalition ever seen in the immigration reform movement. Now we are going to expand that coalition by bringing Fast for Families to the rest of the country," said Eliseo Medina, former Secretary-Treasurer of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and one of the core fasters who went 22 days without food last year. "As we enter the next phase of Fast for Families, we do so with a renewed commitment to passing commonsense immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship. We are motivated by the fact that since our first fast began in November of last year, approximately 66,000 people have been deported, at the rate of 1,100 per day, and an untold number of immigrants have died in the desert coming to America to find a better life," Medina continued.

Participants at the announcement press conference included Eliseo Medina, Reverend Jim Wallis, President and Founder of Sojourners, Dae Joong Yoon, Executive Director of NAKASEC, Reverend John McCullough, President and CEO of Church World Service and Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner, Co-Chair of the National African American Clergy Network.

As "Fast for Families Across America" launched in Washington, DC, faith leaders and activists gathered for a simultaneous press conference announcing the next phases of the movement at the First Methodist Church in Hamilton, Ohio - part of Speaker Boehner's district. Father Mike Pucke of St. Julie's Billiart Catholic Parish addressed the Washington, DC press conference via Internet livestream from Ohio.

"The time for immigration reform is now. We have heard the word 'wait' in the past. Dr. King heard it. Chavez heard it. Gandhi heard it. Our communities of immigrants continue to hear it as they live in the shadows and watch as their families are torn apart by deportations," said Dae Joong Yoon, Executive Director of NAKASEC. "With this new phase of Fast for Families, we will be in districts across the country to increase awareness of the human cost of our broken system and raise the level of urgency for reform."

The "Fast for Families Across America Tour" kicked off on January 27 and will end on April 9th in Washington, DC as Congress is still in session and preparing to return to their districts for a two week recess.

"As the nation waits for the House to pass immigration reform, millions of people remain in jeopardy. Our broken system tears apart families, while creating fear and distrust in our communities. Christians cannot turn a blind eye on this moral crisis and neither should Washington. Pews across the country are filled with people praying for movement on this issue. Calls for action resound from pulpits. People of faith are fasting as a small sign of the sacrifices that far too many families have been forced to make each day," said Reverend Jim Wallis, President and Founder of Sojourners. "I join them in praying and fasting for our leaders because of how much is truly at stake. Every day we don't fix this immigration system's failures, more people will suffer. The time to act and heal the brokenness is now."

"Fast for Families Across America" will progress in two phases. The first phase runs January 27th through February 21st and will consist of fasters participating in events, congressional office visits and community meetings in more than 50 key congressional districts to engage constituents in a dialogue to draw attention to the moral crisis caused by our broken immigration system and to organize community action beyond these visits to encourage Congress to act.

Phase two will begin on February 24th and run through April 9th - during the Lenten season - and will include two bus tours with the fasters stopping in more than 50 key congressional districts for community events, congressional office visits and community meetings. The two "Fast for Families Across America" buses will leave from Los Angeles - one traveling along a northern route and the other bus traveling along a southern route - and will meet in Washington, DC. Along both routes, fasters will be received by the community and participate in day-long events including meetings with faith, labor, business and community leaders and organizations. There will be daily events and will finish with large community meetings, modeled after the those held at the original Fast for Families tent.

The first "Fast for Families: A Call for Immigration Reform and Citizenship" began in a tent on the National Mall on November 12, 2013 and ended on December 12 to underscore the moral crisis caused by our country's broken immigration system. Leaders and immigrant members of the community abstained from all food - except water - to move the hearts and minds of members of Congress to pass immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship.

Fast for Families generated national and international attention. President Obama, in a speech on immigration reform in San Francisco, offered support to Eliseo Medina and the other fasters saying, "We hear you. The whole country is with you."

During the 30 day fast, participants were visited by President Obama and the First Lady, Vice President Joe Biden, President Obama's Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, Secretary of Labor Tom Perez, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, House Minority Leader Representative Nancy Pelosi, former NAACP President Ben Jealous, Reverend Jesse Jackson and several members of Congress who offered support and solidarity with Fast for Families.

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