Rallies took place in more than
150 cities across the U.S. on Saturday in an effort to restart the push for
comprehensive immigration reform led by a group of bi-partisan lawmakers
earlier this year.
Organizers of the "Day of
Dignity and Respect" events in cities from New York to Los Angeles hope to
draw fresh attention to an issue that was at the forefront of the national
dialogue in July when the Senate passed an immigration bill that would have
included a path to citizenship for the millions of undocumented individuals in
the U.S., but House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, has refused to put to a
vote.
Meanwhile, Democrats in the
House introduced a
similar measure Thursday, which will likely also face opposition from House
Republicans, many of whom are wary of supporting anything that could be
perceived as "amnesty" for individuals who broke immigration laws to get
to the U.S.
House Republicans have also let
it be known that they prefer a more step-by-step approach to the immigration
issue in contrast to the broader measures in the Senate bill.
