Friday marked one full year since the U.S. Senate passed a comprehensive immigration reform bill, but with the measure effectively dead in the House, immigrant advocacy groups hope to convince President Obama to use his executive powers to steer around the Congressional roadblock.
In Michigan, activist Maximo Anguiano with Action of Greater Lansing says his group feels separating families with 1,100 daily deportations is not the answer.
"So what makes better sense for the United States of America?" asks Anguiano. "To keep wasting our tax money deporting these immigrants, policing these immigrants, and incarcerating these immigrants? Or, does it make more sense to have these immigrants earn their documentation?"
Anguiano coordinates the Civil Rights for Immigrants Task Force for Action of Greater Lansing.
As part of a national day of action, demonstrators called on Obama to put an end to the deportations of undocumented residents.
Obama asked his administration to wait until summer's end to change the nation's deportation policy, to give the House a final chance to take up legislation that would create a path to citizenship for some 11 million undocumented residents.
With the bill going nowhere, Anguiano says the time to act is now.
"Keep these families together, let them earn their documentation, let the separation of families stop, and let these immigrants live their lives peacefully and support the infrastructure of the United States of America," he says.
Some House Republicans have said they feel the time is not right for immigration reform, and have raised concerns about the president's ability to enforce immigration laws.
