WASHINGTON, DC — After attending the White House Welcoming Ceremony for Pope Francis, Ben Monterroso, Crisitan Ávila and Miriam Sasbou from Mi Familia Vota issued the following statements:
“We are humbled and honored to join the President in welcoming Pope Francis to our country,” said Ben Monterroso, Executive Director of Mi Familia Vota.
“We hope Pope Francis’ message of peace, love and respect towards immigrants help soften the hearts and souls of elected officials and politicians to act and start a constructive discussion on how to achieve a comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship that will allow more than 11 million immigrants to step out of the shadows.”
“We also want to urge the Latino community to honor the Pope by uniting and continuing the struggle by organizing, participating in the democratic life of this country so our voice is heard through the ballot box and help elect those candidates that are willing to fight for the same causes that the Pope is fighting for,” said Monterroso.
“The Pope’s visit fill my heart with hope, the hope that his message will help politicians understand the struggle of the immigrants in this country and that solutions are urgently needed.“ said Cristian Avila, a DREAMer and organizer from Mi Familia Vota in Arizona.
“I truly hope that the Pope’s visit helps bring a solution to millions of immigrants, including my own family, that live with the fear of being deported and separated from their loved ones.” said Miriam Sasbou, a small business owner, American citizen and volunteer for Mi Familia Vota in Florida.
