Letter campaign urges Obama to act on immigration reform

February 12th, 2009 @ 6:27am
by KTAR.com

PHOENIX -- Immigrants rights activists planned to mail thousands of letters to President Barack Obama on Thursday urging his administration to pass comprehensive immigration reforms.

The need for reform has intensified because of actions by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, including a raid Wednesday on a Phoenix landscaping business, said Carlos Galindo, founder of Project Letters.

"The currect archaic immigration system has to change and we have to stop the separation of families that has been occurring because of Joe Arpaio's grandstanding," Galindo said. "It's obvious that we need immigration labor in order to stimulate our economy and allow those here in our country to come out of the shadows, assimilate and pay taxes."

Arpaio said he is not concerned about the letters.

"They can write all the letters they want," the sheriff said. "You think I'm worried about letters?"

He said the letter campaign is just a continuation of demonstrations against his policies.

"Now, they're sending letters to the president of the United States. They're the same people who demonstrated, the religious groups, the same ones.

Galindo's group has collected letters from religious leaders and community activists over the last three months to send to the president.

State Reps. Ben Miranda and Kyrsten Sinema, both Democrats, were among those supporting the campaign.

"We need more activity on behalf of our community in the form of grassroots projects like this," Miranda said.

Political consultant Randy Camacho said, "The 800-pound gorilla in the room is immigration reform. Now organizers are looking to take their march to the local post office."

Project Letters has spread across the United States and letters will be mailed throughout the nation Thursday, Galindo said.

He said Feb. 12 was chosen because it is the bicentennial birth date of Abraham Lincoln.

On the Net:

• www.projectletters.com

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