Today at 1 p.m. in D.C.
UFW, farm worker at Senate hearing to back President’s immigration executive order keeping families together
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Oregon farm worker Raul Esparza De La Paz is traveling from Hermiston, Ore. to Washington, D.C. to the hearing on Wednesday by the Senate Judiciary Committee over President Obama’s administrative action on immigration.
De La Paz, who’ll sacrifice missing a few days from work, will participate alongside U.S. senators at a 1 p.m. press conference and then the 2:30 p.m. hearing entitled, "Keeping Families Together: The President’s Executive Action On Immigration And The Need To Pass Comprehensive Reform."
The hearing will discuss keeping the President’s executive order intact while pushing for passage of a bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform measure such as S. 744, that was approved by the U.S. Senate in June 2013, but has been stalled by Republican leaders in the House.
"Upon hearing that I would meet the requirements [of the executive order] I was happy,” De La Cruz wrote in a letter to the President. “This would benefit myself and my wife. My four children and ten grandchildren would be able to live as a family in peace without fear of being separated from each other. We call the U.S. home now…It is not fair to live in fear, not being able to get our driver’s licenses and missing out on job opportunities because of our immigration status. I was pleased with the President’s decision, but like he said, Congress must do their part, so those who weren’t covered by administrative relief can benefit from comprehensive immigration reform."
Who: U.S. Senators, farm worker Raul Esparza De La Paz, UFW 3rd Vice President Giev Kashkooli.
What: Meeting with senators prior to the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing supporting President Obama’s executive action on immigration
When: Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2014:
1 p.m. EST—News Conference with senators in LBJ Room U.S. Capitol Building.
2:30 p.m. EST—Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Dirksen 226.