100 women march for Immigration reform
*They started in Pennsylvania and will reach Washington tomorrow, just in time for the Pope’s visit. Their walk is to draw attention to the need for compassion for immigrants around the world. VL
Threatened and harassed by local gangs after their mother died, 23-year-old Rocio Martinez fled from Honduras with two sisters in search of a safer place to call home.
But she said she encountered a new kind of fear when she arrived in New Orleans two years ago as she began the underground life of an undocumented immigrant constantly worried about deportation.
[pullquote]The women started their journey at a detention center in York, Pa., where many undocumented immigrants end up as they await deportation hearings. They plan to arrive at the White House on Tuesday.[/pullquote]Martinez has come out of the shadows to share her story. She is part of a group of 100 immigrant woman from around the country in the midst of a 100-mile walk from Pennsylvania to Washington, D.C., in attempt to humanize the contentious debate over immigration reform in the United States.
“I hope this sends a message to all people who don’t know what it likes to be an immigrant,” Martinez said.
They timed their 100 Women 100 Mile pilgrimage — organized by the group We Belong Together — to coincide with the much-anticipated trip of Pope Francis to several U.S. cities this week. They are trying to echo his call for countries to have more compassion for and open arms to immigrants. The first pope from Latin America is expected to make it a major point during his visit.
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[Photo courtesy of ABC2news.com]
