A couple dozen undocumented immigrants and their allies rallied in Springfield today outside a county jail where arrested immigrants are being held. The group called on President Barack Obama issue an executive order to make changes, as the issue stalls in Congress.
Ralliers propped up at 10-foot-high puppet of President Obama. In his cardboard hands, two signs read "continue separating families" and "take bold executive action," representing the two choices the group said Obama has.
One family separated by deportation belongs to 19-year-old Rubi Sanchez, who immigrated to Illinois from Mexico. She says her family was on its way to the grocery store 2012, when police surrounded their car, and took her father into custody. That was the last time she saw him.
To support her family, Sanchez works a part-time job cleaning office buildings, and just started going to school for computer science. All the time, worrying her mom might meet the same fate as her dad.
"Every morning I leave the house to school and thinking that it's probably the last time I'll probably see my mom. I don't know if I will get to see her when I come back. It's just a constant fear I live in."
Congress had been close to passing an immigration overhaul last summer, but the measure stalled in the Republican-led House. Obama has been at loggerheads with House Republicans over the issue since.
