Frustrated by the failure of a reform bill in Washington, activists are making a new push to give undocumented immigrants sanctuary.
Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., announced that cities from Boston to Portland, Ore., will be part of “Sanctuary 2014,” a movement giving families faced with deportation a place to stay.
“The sanctuary movement is a response to the lack of action. It is a response to the humanity of the issue. And I think it is going to be a cornerstone in pushing the decency of the American people to demand of its elected officials to do something,” Grijalva said in a teleconference.
The list of cities offering and supporting sanctuary includes Boston, Chicago, Denver, Kansas City, New York, Oakland, Portland, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Seattle and Tucson. Sanctuary is already being provided in Phoenix, Tucson, Chicago and Portland.
“Stand in solidarity and help stop the deportations of mother and fathers who are in Sanctuary in faith communities across the country,” the movement’s official website reads.
Under pressure from Democratic senators in tough re-election bids, Obama opted to delay executive action until after the midterm elections — something that has upset the Latino community nationwide.
A February poll by Gallup showed that Americans considered it equally important for the government to secure the borders as well as resolve the status of the roughly 11 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. already.
