More than 200,000 march to advocate immigration reform

The group included more than 50 Minnesotans who journeyed to Washington by bus, the Minnesota Immigration Freedom Network reported.

“The majority of these advocates were immigrant families, parents, grandparents, students and people directly affected by these unfair policies that MIFN had recruited to increase the powerful impact of this action,” said Alondra Kiawitl Espejel, associate director of the group.

“A handful of allies and other immigrant leaders from groups like Immigrant Law Center, Church World Service, UFCW, UNITE-HERE, Navigate, and La Raza Student Cultural Center were also going on the ride.”

Marchers filled the National Mall. Photo courtesy of Reform Immigration for America

The March For America united leaders and organizations representing labor, people of faith, and communities from across the country, said Ali Noorani, executive director of the National Immigration Forum and Chairman of the Campaign.

“The American people are demanding that Congress come together and deliver. Americans want an immigration system that works,” Noorani said. “The time is right for both parties to work together to create a bipartisan bill to address our broken and outdated immigration system. Thousands of working families will be coming to DC to show that the American people want a practical solution that is fair to everyone, is key to our economic recovery, and lives up to our best traditions as a nation of immigrants.”

Advocates said a robust economic recovery cannot take place on top of a broken immigration system. Comprehensive immigration reform would put the economy on a more stable footing, provide a vital boost for recovery, and increase wages for all, they said.