Activists in the Bay Area are walking 48 miles from San Jose to San Francisco in a call to push for a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
Hundreds of demonstrators set off from San Jose Saturday morning. They are bound for San Francisco to push for a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
According to organizers, about 250 people registered for the three-day march in the Bay Area.
Protesters stopped in Menlo Park on Saturday and will make a stop in South San Francisco on Sunday before arriving at San Francisco City Hall on Monday. Once there, they will hold a rally at 3 p.m.
"We are raising our voices to update the registry bill, H.R. 1511, which would give almost 8 million undocumented immigrants in this country the opportunity to obtain their residency," said Daysi Carreño of the Northern California Coalition.
The group is calling on lawmakers to support two bills that would expand eligibility to those who are undocumented through the registry program. The program would allow undocumented immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for at least seven years, have paid taxes, and have clean criminal records to obtain lawful permanent resident status.
"This law would not only benefit me as a TPSian, but it would benefit more than 8 million immigrants who only have more than seven years living in this country without any problem," said Johnny Silva, a Honduran immigrant.
With only three months to go before the presidential election, many argue that an immigration benefit is more urgent than ever.
"It worries me because we don't agree with the separation of families," Silva said.
The group also called on Vice President Kamala Harris to support this community.
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"Let her put registration as part of her immigration plan during her campaign," said Jose Arnulfo Cabrera with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights.
This story was originally reported by our sister station Telemundo 48. Click here to read the Spanish version.
