In spite of a spate of news articles that have been published in the last week claiming that comprehensive immigration reform is now dead in the United States, advocates say that reform is still a strong possibility in the House of Representatives and that they will keep on fighting until it is achieved.
“We’re not giving up,” says immigration advocacy group United We Dream organizer Greisa Martinez. “We are in 30 days of sustained action and escalation across the country. We are mobilizing in D.C. We’re keeping the issue alive, so I wouldn’t want us to prematurely declare this issue dead, because our community and our movement still has a lot of fight left this year.”
It is undeniable, however, that there is now some real cause for concern. It seems very unlikely, if not impossible, that the House of Representatives will vote on the issue before the end of 2013, and next year Congress will be entering a midterm election year. There are now fewer than 20 days remaining in the legislative calendar, despite there being two months left in 2013, and most of those are set to be taken over with more arguing over the budget.
Advocates for immigration remain undaunted by the long odds, however, with over 600 supporters expected to converge on Washington this week to attend an event of which the Partnership for a New American Economy are the sponsors and United We Dream set to step up activism.
