Immigrant advocacy groups and labor unions have joined forces demanding the Obama administration halt deportations of undocumented immigrants who will be eligible for citizenship under the proposed immigration reform bill.
The bipartisan proposal currently being debated by the Senate Judiciary Committee would provide a path to citizenship for many of the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country. But in the meantime, deportations of people who will be allowed to stay in the United States if the bill passes continue. The Obama administration deports as many as 1,100 people every day.
"It's a simple matter of fairness and justice," said Thomas Saenz, president of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. "It makes no sense to deport those who would be eligible for that relief."
"We know what the legislation says. We are simply demanding they act in a way that's consistent with those principles," he said.
Immigration reform advocates pressed the administration to suspend deportations back in February, a request that was denied. But supporters say passage of the Senate's bill is inevitable, proving that deportations that may soon be illegal are currently unnecessary.
"Immigration reform has unstoppable momentum. For the AFL, this bill is not fragile. It is supported by a broad coalition," said Ana Avendaño, director of immigration for the AFL-CIO.
"In the last three months, the momentum on the ground has changed. The coalition and people and organizations coming together making the ask-and-push is unseen before. I think the time has changed. If the president is serious about making sure families are together and people go through the path and not removing people who have been here 5, 7, 10 years, he needs to step up and respond," said Lorella Praeli, director of advocacy and policy for United We Dream.
The administration has not yet responded to the requests this time, but it's likely the answer will be the same. Reform is still tenuous, and Obama won't do anything to give opponents more talking points.
The Senate begins its second hearing on the bill tomorrow.