In rallies across the country, working families made their voices heard this week and let Congress know that they want comprehensive immigration reform that includes a pathway to citizenship for the nation's 11 million aspiring Americans.

On Wednesday, dozens of labor leaders from California and Orange Countyannounced their support for reform on the steps of Anaheim City Hall. 

“We will not be a passive voice on immigration reform,” said Art Pulaski, executive secretary-treasurer of the California Labor Federation. It is time, he said, to “break the cycle of exploitation.”

The groups said that they plan to engage in phone banks, marches, letter-writing, sending mailers, pushing for city resolutions and get-out-the-vote efforts in support of a pathway to citizenship.

Religious leaders are already involved in a campaign to support DREAMers, children of aspiring citizens who were brought to the United States as children. The DREAMers, like Jessica Bravo, grew up in the United States and consider themselves to be Americans.

The Voice of the OC reports:

The Rev. Mark E. Whitlock from the Christ our Redeemer Church in Irvine is one of many religious leaders from across Orange County working with [the Orange County Congregation Community Organization] who are slated to visit congressional and other locally elected officials and press for immigration reform.

"We must hold hands and say, if you mess with her, you mess with us," said Whitlock. “And if you mess with us, we are not afraid to speak back to you.…We won’t cry, but we will march."

"The challenge for the religious community, as well as the African American community, is we must begin to join and celebrate Jessica. But also stand behind Jessica, because she is the future,” he said.

In San Francisco on Monday, working families, immigrant workers and leaders of unions such as the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), UNITE HERE and the AFL-CIO announced the passage of a resolution by the San Francisco Labor Council.

“Working people are working people, regardless of the color of their skin or where they were born,” said San Francisco Labor Council’s Executive Director Tim Paulson. “In San Francisco, we recognize that working people are strongest when we work together and our movement is strongest when it welcomes all workers.

“On a regular basis, the more than 11 million immigrant aspiring citizens who contribute to our communities, country and economy are denied a voice at work and other basic rights. The creation of a road map to citizenship would not only stop employers from continuing to take advantage of our failed immigration policies; it would improve wages and labor standards for all workers by giving immigrant workers a voice on the job.”

Also on Monday in Michigan, the National Family Unity Bus Tour for Immigration Reform held a rally in Kalamazoo. In addition to calling for comprehensive immigration reform, the group and allies, protested recent remarks by Rep. Fred Upton, who opposes a pathway to citizenship. According to Karla Swift, president of the Michigan State AFL-CIO, Upton wants undocumented immigrants "to become a permanent underclass, which can be used to undermine the value of all labor."