‘Fast for Families’ kicks off national tour for immigration reform

Image of the "Fast for Families" fasters, who announced their new plans to push for immigration reform on Monday. After going without food and only drinking water for 22 days last, a handful of advocates with the “Fast for Families” campaign ended their fast on December 3, 2013. Now they are continuing their efforts to push for immigration reform with a national tour that kicked off on Monday. Activists with the “Fast for Families” campaign captivated national and international attention last year when they put their bodies on the line to fast in support of immigration reform with a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Now, the fasters are continuing their efforts. This time, they plan to go on a national tour to visit more than 100 congressional districts with the goal of highlighting what they call is a moral crisis caused by the nation’s broken immigration system. They also plan to encourage constituents in those districts to take action, whether it is through fasting or praying, in support of immigration reform. The tour is being called “Fast for Families Across America.” “Last year, we built the broadest, most diverse coalition ever seen in the immigration reform movement,” said Eliseo Medina, former secretary-treasurer of the SEIU and one of the core fasters who went 22 days without food last year. “Now we are going to expand that coalition by bringing ‘Fast for Families’ to the rest of the country.” Medina was among the fasters who joined on Monday to announce the details of the tour during a press conference held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. A similar press conference was held at the First Methodist Church in Hamilton, Ohio, which is located in House Speaker John Boehner’s district.

Continued..Medina said what motivates him and the other fasters from “Fast for Families” to continue pushing for immigration reform is knowing that people continue to be deported. He noted that since the fast began in November of last year, an estimated 66,000 people have been deported, with about 1,100 being deported every day. He added that “an untold number of immigrants” have died in the desert while attempting to come to the U.S. to seek a better life. Details of the ‘Fast for Families Across America’ tour.The “Fast for Families Across America” tour kicked off on Monday and will end April 9 at the nation’s capital just as members of Congress prepare to return to their districts for a two-week recess. The tour is split up into two phases. The first phase runs from Jan. 27 through Feb. 21. During that time, fasters will participate in a number of events, such as congressional office visits and community meetings, in more than 50 congressional districts. The second phase will kick off Feb. 24. On that day, the fasters will board two separate buses and will make stops in more than 50 congressional districts where they will attend community events, participate in congressional office visits and hold community meetings. The two buses will leave from Los Angeles, with one bus traveling along a northern route and the other bus traveling along a southern route. The buses are expected to end their trip in Washington, D.C., on April 9. They will be greeted by other immigration reform advocates and will participate in events all day. Dae Joong Yoon, one of the core fasters who went 22 days without food last year, insisted that “the time for immigration reform is now” while speaking at the press conference in Ohio. “We have heard the word ‘wait’ in the past,” said Yoon, who is also the executive director of NAKASEC. “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.” “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,” he continued...(I never see any of them fast for 1000's of victims of crimes by illegals..Why do illegals have the impression that only their families matter ? Wonder why none of them ever do any fasting in Mexico for illegals about to be deported ? Where is fast for families- Mexico Chapter ??? )

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