http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... t0127.html

Activist to try hunger strike over anti-migrant
Jan. 27, 2007 12:00 AM

A Phoenix immigration reformist has staged a new platform to protest against the state's mounting anti-immigration sentiment.

And his method of expression is likely to catch some attention.

Elias Bermudez, president of the Immigrants Without Borders group in Phoenix, is going on a hunger strike for seven days to express his frustration with state anti-immigration laws and deportations and push for a federal immigration reform. advertisement

He's not alone. At least 18 others will begin fasting on Monday, setting up a site near El Portal restaurant in downtown Phoenix. They plan to have four motor homes, security guards and doctors on hand during the communal fast.

"We believe we have done what we need to do as far as marches are concerned," he said. "We're trying to approach this from a humane and spiritual part."

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office in Arizona will continue to enforce the law despite anti-immigration advocates like Bermudez, spokeswoman Lauren Mack said.

"The public safety is what it's all about," she said. "It's to enforce immigration laws for the community."

Maricopa County Sheriff's Office and the Department of Homeland Security have recently considered hiring specially trained state deputies to arrest undocumented immigrants and turn them over to federal government, she said.

Bermudez and his followers hope the government can step up and find alternatives to dealing with immigration issues. Namely, they want Congress to approve an immigration reform that would legalize million of undocumented immigrants living in the United States.

"We believe that the president of the United States . . . can now, instead of just talking about the problem, deal with the problem and do something about it," he said.

The group is encouraging anyone like-minded to join in the fast, whether at the site or at home. They expect about 50,000 people this week to pay them a visit at 117 W. Grant St. in Phoenix, Bermudez said.

"A lot of people of faith are afraid to come out and protest during a rally," he said. "This time, they don't have an excuse."