PHOTO: MARK BAILEY

On March 3, immigrant- rights organizations and families directly affected by deportations lobbied in Washington, D.C., for a bill that would give immigration judges discretion in deportation cases involving the separation of families with children who are U.S. citizens. Congressman Jose Serrano (D-NY) reintroduced the Child Citizen Protection Act (CCPA) in January. The bill was first introduced in 2006 but failed to rally enough support to become law.

Human Rights Watch reported that more than 1.6 million families have been separated due to deportations since the passage of the 1996 immigration laws.

Read my full article at The Indypendent: http://www.indypendent.org/2009/03/20/fragmented-families/