Vanessa Borjas, 17, is a high school junior in Oakland, Calif., who is beginning her search for college scholarships with an extra bit of trepidation.
Though she has lived in the United States since her parents brought her from Mexico at age 6, Borjas in not a U.S. citizen.
She worries that her lack of papers will close the door to higher education, just as it precluded her qualifying for scholarships that her teachers at private junior highs and high schools encouraged her to pursue.
"That was the first door that was closing on me," she said.
Borjas stopped in Salt Lake City on Thursday morning with 54 other Californians en route by bus to Washington, D.C., for Sunday's immigration-reform rally and march. After breakfast at St. Ambrose Catholic Church, they left for Denver, Kansas City, Columbus, Ohio, and Washington, D.C.
Organizers of the event, "March for America: Change Takes Courage and Faith," hope to attract thousands to encourage Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform that they say is needed to protect families. Faith communities are joining with immigrant, civil rights and labor groups for the event.
Bishop John C. Wester, of Salt Lake City's Roman Catholic Diocese, will speak at the interfaith service preceding Sunday's rally and march. He heads the migration committee of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Dee Rowland, of the diocese's Peace and Justice Commission said Thursday that Wester was on his way to Washington and was not able to meet those traveling by bus to the same march.
The Rev. Martin Diaz, pastor of St. Therese of the Child Jesus Parish in Midvale, told those bound for Washington that preserving families is at the heart of the needed changes in immigration law.
"Both The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Catholic Church stand for and work for family values," Diaz said, "and that's what we're for in immigration reform."
Those traveling to Washington, many of them young, are part of advocacy groups in the Bay Area and Orange County in California. The national group People Improving Community through Organization is sponsoring their journey.
Several Latino organizations plan to stage a march in Salt Lake City on Sunday to coincide with the rally in Washington, D.C.
Immigration-reform advocates will meet at 11 a.m. at Salt Lake City Hall, 451. S. State St., and march to the Utah Capitol.
The Utah march is sponsored by Proyecto Latino, Utah Mexican Club Federation, Centro Civico Mexicano and Utah Coalition of La Raza.
