Immigration reform activists visit Darrell Issa's office

Immigration reform activists on Friday, November 22, concluded a one-day hunger strike in front of congressman Darrell Issa's office in Vista.

The 14 local participants said they were part of a nationwide show of support for Fast for Families, a group that just concluded a ten-day fast in Washington as part of an attempt to convince lawmakers to address immigration issues.

In breaking their 24-hour fast (which also kicked off in front of Issa's office with another small protest the day prior), the local group chose produce grown within the Issa's district, crops likely tended and harvested by immigrant workers, as a symbol of the need for immigration-law reform, explained Maribel Sollache.

"Our hunger is not just something that we can vanquish by taking food," said fast participant Carlos Ronquillo before taking a piece of fruit. "We're hungry for justice."

This week's events are not the first time Issa's office has been targeted over immigration issues. Organizers say they've repeatedly attempted to contact Issa directly but have been unable to get through his staff, who they claim have been non-responsive.

An open letter to the congressman was delivered on Thursday, inviting him to join the fast and asking for details on the immigration plan Issa claimed he would release in late October. As of yet, no drafts of the Issa bill have surfaced, though he has said it would lie "halfway between full amnesty and simply rejecting people."

A Senate bill on immigration reform passed with 68 votes in June; the House of Representatives has so far refused to consider the measure.