US immigration activist group gives Pope letters from children

A Los Angeles group of US immigration reform activists have travelled to Rome and presented letters to Pope Francis from children whose parents are in danger of deportation.

After being blessed prior to their journey by newly-appointed Archbishop of Los Angeles Jose Gomez, 10-year old Jersey Vargas, the group’s youngest member, presented the Pope with 1,000 letters from children whose undocumented parents are awaiting deportation. The presentation was give at the Pope’s General Audience last Wednesday.

Jersey, the third of five children in her family, told the pontiff she was sad without her father by her side, and terrified that he would be sent away, adding that many other children in America are suffering as she is. Pope Francis kissed the child, blessed her and promised he would talk to President Obama about the problem.

The group’s journey had been timed to coincide with yesterday's audience given just before the Pope was due to meet up with Obama during his visit to Rome. A member of the group, Alicia Flores, also the director of Hermandad Mexicana Transnacional, told reporters that she hoped the Pope would intercede for all immigrant families in the same situation as Jersey’s, adding that fathers who are working and contributing to the country are being deported simply because they don’t have the correct documents.