As millions of Americans prepare for their lavish Thanksgiving feasts, the ten protesters outside Washington's Capitol Hill have vowed that they will spend Thanksgiving only sipping water. The protest, which began on November 15th, has set up tents outside the nation's capitol to urge politicians to push through legislation that would permit comprehensive immigration reform for the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country. "What moves us is the hunger for justice," said Eliseo Medina, secretary-treasurer of the Service Employees International Union.
Immigration reform has become an increasingly uphill battle for President Obama as house Republicans, including Speaker John Boenher, increasingly turn towards a fragmented version of the Senate's comprehensive bill, moving instead towards a piecemeal approach that favors legalization over citizenship. Medina, who has lost over 20 pounds since the hunger strike began stated that "any sacrifice is small and is not comparable to that of the immigrants who lose their lives in the desert seeking a better future or whose families suffer deportation."
The hunger strikers are calling for national support on this issue. Religious leaders and community activists have joined the protesters, setting up signs and images of Gandhi and Che Guevara. "We're asking the American people to raise their collective voice to join forces and convince the politicians that the time to act is now," the 67-year-old Medina said.
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