7 Arrested at Immigration-Reform Rally Outside Rep. Ed Royce's Office: Update with PHOTOS

See Update No. 2 on page 2 about seven people being arrested at the immigration-reform rally outside Rep. Ed Royce's Brea office today–with PHOTOS. Update No. 1 on the next page is about organizers expecting 300+ people demonstrators.

ORIGINAL POST, JUNE 26, 7:06 A.M.: Spearheaded by a Korean-American group, immigration reform advocates will demonstrate outside U.S. Rep. Ed Royce's Brea office Friday morning to urge the veteran Republican congressman to get himself and House mates to move on the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013 passed in the Senate. The activists say they have good reason to literally take this to Royce's doorstep.

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Unitarian Universalists Hold Daylong Fast in Brea For Immigration Reform

“Rep. Ed Royce earned the lowest score on the AAPI and Latino 2014 National Immigration Preliminary Score Cards for not listening to the community,” reads an advisory from the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium. “Now is the chance for Royce to improve his grade with the immigrant communities by publicly urging House leadership to bring immigration reform to the floor for vote now.”

The non-profit group, which promotes the full participation of Korean Americans in major social justice issues, will be joined Friday by members of Mi Familia Vota, Organizing for Action, Anaheim-based Orange County Congregation Community Organization and the SEIU USWW union.

Each claims one year is too long for the House not to have taken action on the immigration bill passed in the Senate.

“Every day the House does not act on immigration reform, families are being separated,” reads the advisory. “A shift in House leadership does not change the need of our community.”

The demonstration begins at 11:40 a.m. Friday in front of Royce's office at 210 W. Birch St., Brea.

UPDATE NO. 1, JUNE 26, 5:08 P.M.: A coalition of Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander immigration reform advocates say a planned rally outside Rep. Ed Royce's Brea office Friday morning has grown larger–and noisier.

More than 300 people with signs, banners and noisemakers are expected to mark the one-year anniversary of the U.S. Senate's passage of bi-partisan immigration reform legislation that House Republican leaders have refused to put up for a vote.

“With Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) and Latinos accounting for 28.5 percent and 32.6 percent of the population respectively, the 39th Congressional District, represented by Congressman Ed Royce, is a prime example of how failing to act on immigration reform puts local and national Republicans' electoral future in serious jeopardy,” say organizers.

An 11:45 a.m. news conference is planned before the noon rally at 210 W. Birch St., Brea.
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UPDATE NO. 2, JUNE 27, 2:24 P.M.: Seven people were arrested today for allegedly blocking an intersection outside of Rep. Ed Royce's office in Brea, where immigration-reform activists had staged a rally for “National Day to Stop Separating Families,” according to organizers.

“I am getting arrested today to tell Representative Ed Royce that he has an obligation to stop hiding behind excuses and publicly support legislation that brings millions of aspiring Americans out of shadows and stop tearing apart families,” explained Hee Joo Yoon, executive director of the Korean Resource Center.

“One year ago the Senate passed its version of a bipartisan immigration reform bill. However, House leadership has refused to allow any steps towards a permanent solution from entering the House floor.”

Royce was targeted because he scored 59 percent on both the Asian American/Pacific Islander and Latino 2014 National Immigration Preliminary Score Cards for his performance on immigration.

“We strongly urge House members to earn a score of 100 percent by truly working for the immigrant community and publicly supporting humane immigration reform,” says Dae Joong (DJ) Yoon, executive director of the National Korean American Service and Education Consortium. “If they fail to do so, the community members will hold them accountable. Our immigrant community cannot wait any longer. No more delays and no more excuses. Every day of delay means thousands of people will be separated from their families.”

The following photos from today's rally are courtesy of the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC):



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