About 180 people gathered in the domed sanctuary of Trinity United Methodist Church in Des Moines Thursday June 27, 2013 to celebrate the Senate’s vote for immigration 
reform and to urge the U.S. House follow suit.
Esperanza Pintor Martinez, who was brought to the U.S. from Mexico when she was 8, urged lawmakers and opponents of immigration reform to consider the families affected.
Immigration overhaul passed by the Senate is a good start, said organizers of an immigration reform rally in Des Moines.
Kathleen McQuillen, Iowa coordinator with the American Friends Service Committee said, ““But it’s not going far enough, we want a humane path into this country. We want the reunification of families. We want the demilitarization of the border.” Many families remain in limbo under the current immigration system.
The rally was organized by the Network for Immigration Reform, a coalition of 20 central Iowa faith-based groups, legal advocates and other pro-immigration reform organizations.
For additional information about the Network for Immigration Reform contact
Kathleen McQuillen at kmcquillen@afsc.org or 515-274-4851, ext: 22