Floridians who put high hopes on Marco Rubio delivering on a truly comprehensive immigration solution that would help their friends, families and neighbors staged a sit-in at the offices of Senator Marco Rubio in Miami to express their disappointment at Senator Rubio’s latest support for Sen. John Cornyn’s “poison pill” amendments. The group was asked to leave by the police but granted a 4:30pm meeting with a staffer from the senator’s office later in the afternoon. Concerned constituents asked Senator Rubio’s staff if he is working for the interests of Floridians, who according to polls, support immigration reform or the extreme elements of his own party.
Many believe that Sen. John Cornyn’s amendment will set up unreachable triggers that must be met at the border before any of the 11 million undocumented hoping for reform will ever get on a path to legalization, much less citizenship. As a principal architect of the bipartisan Senate bill and with his own personal family immigration experience, Rubio has nothing to gain by backing out of supporting a bill that he helped to write or supporting amendments that would kill chances for immigration reform and legalization of 11 million aspiring Americans.
“Politicians, including Senator Rubio, can’t have it both ways. They can’t want the Latino vote but not want Latino voters’ friends and family to ever get the right to vote themselves.” Said Kathy Bird of Florida New Majority.
“I’m an American citizen, I was born here. I’m 65 years old and I would give my citizenship to one of these families if I could. Every day I see how hard they work to keep our economy moving. I also worked hard and I could not imagine how it would have had been to live without a document.” said 1Miami’s Juanita Alvarez. Miami Workers Center’s Rosana Araujo followed, “I came here like many other families of American citizens did generations before to pursue a dream. A majority of Americans support a fair immigration reform with a path to citizenship, I do not know why Marco Rubio has decided to support amendments written by politicians that don’t want us here.” Finally Frida Ulloa declaredfirmly, “Senator Rubio don’t walk away from YOUR OWN bill, don’t make it worse, stand strong. Listen to YOUR constituents and be a leader for our families.
Faith leaders, immigration groups, and Latino families will meet with Rubio’s office today but to promised stand firm against attempts to destroy reform. “Our families, our communities and our voting power aren’t going anywhere any time soon.”
