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Ordinary Families Ask to be Heard
Valley Interfaith Project Leaders brief the media at the State Capitol the day before the Congressional
Field Hearing in Phoenix. Left to right are Fr. John Herman, St. John Vianny, Goodyear; Reporter,
Radio Station 1190AM; Cecilia Guzman, St. Timothy's, Mesa; Marcie Escobedo, St. Catherine's,
Phoenix; and Saul Solis, St. Timothy's, Mesa.
In Yuma and Phoenix, leaders from Arizona Interfaith Network organizations sought the opportunity
to address Members of Congress at recent ?Fact Finding? hearings. In their view, public hearings
should provide input from a variety of sources, including local residents who are most affected by
the issue being heard. Leaders from Arizona Interfaith member institutions know that, for Arizona,
immigration reform is far more than just border security and voter registration, the topics of the
two hearings.
Yuma County Interfaith Leaders held a Press Conference on July 31 and also attended the hearing on
August 2. While Yuma County Interfaith Leader Lorena Magana had her written statement accepted at
the hearing, she was not allowed to read it.
In Phoenix, Valley Interfaith Project Leaders held their Press Conference the day before the August 3
hearing. Despite written requests in advance to members of the House Committee on Administration and
to the Arizona Congressional Delegation, Leaders were not accorded any opportunity to speak, even
after making a public request to the Committee Chairman during the hearing.
The media clearly understood that ordinary families were not being heard at the hearings. Listed
below are an editorial and several articles:
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