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By : Washington pos
Immigration advocates push Republicans to support path to citizenship
By David Nakamura and Rosalind S. Helderman, Published: February 7
Immigration advocates, backed by theWhite House, have begun a nationwide lobbying campaign, including rallies in more than a dozen cities and a planned demonstration on the Mall. The loosely coordinated effort is aimed in part atinfluencing an ongoing debate in the Republican Party over whether to provide a path to citizenship for more than 11 million illegal immigrants, organizers said.
The campaign includes liberal-leaningHispanic, Asian and African American groups and labor unions, as well as a more centrist coalition of faith, law enforcement and business representatives. Organizers said they are intent on making theirvoices heard at a time when some GOP leaders have called for granting undocumented residents legal status, but have stopped short of citizenship. The debate is one of the key points of conflict betweenPresident Obama and lawmakers, who are attempting to negotiate the largest overhaul of immigration laws in three decades.
“The election sent Republicans a strong message to work with President Obamato fix our broken system or else face political suicide,” said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, whose organization announced plans Thursday for 14 rallies in big cities, along with phone calls,leaflets and television ads. “Our focus is citizenship, getting people to have the same rights as anybody else.”
In recent days, an increasing number of congressional Republicans have embraced what theydescribed as a middle ground between full citizenship and the position long held by many in the GOP that illegal immigrants be required to return to their home countries. Some House Republicans haveargued that illegal immigrants could be allowed to live and work in the United States without fear of deportation, but should not be granted the full benefits of being a citizen, including the right...