While I was thinking about writing you this note, I remembered that when my daughter was a little girl she'd run to the door to hug me when I came home from work. Her smiles lit up the room as she'd chant, "Yay, mommy's home, mommy's home!"

She never doubted I'd return home at the end of the day.

But an estimated 5.5 million children who are in mixed-immigrant status familieslive in fear that their mom or dad might not come home at the end of the day. [1] Every day. Every. Day.

This has got to change. Now.

*I'm signing on to an open letter to our national leaders, and I hope you will too, telling them:

"I pledge to put my support behind elected officials who have the courage to fix our immigration system in order to keep families together, and to make our communities, our economy, and our nation strong." Sign here: http://action.momsrising.org/go/4599?t=5&akid=5574.227578.Y_jYj8

Immigration is rarely talked about as a family issue, but women and children make up three-quarters of all immigrants to the United States. [2] Yet, despite this reality, our current immigration system does not adequately provide a pathway to citizenship for these aspiring Americans. In fact, right now, for the majority of immigrants, there isn't even a line to stand in to apply for citizenship! [3]

According to the We Belong Together women's coalition, nearly 70% of women nationwide support immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship. [4] We need an immigration process that ensures women and children are treated humanely and fairly, and which honors their many contributions to our culture, economy, and communities.

One year ago, the United States Senate passed a comprehensive immigration reform bill. Since then, the House of Representatives has failed to take action, and this failure has had devastating consequences to immigrant families. It's time for women and our allies to show that we're tired of this broken system and that communities across the country can't wait any longer for relief.

Faced with Congress' inaction, let's pledge to put our support behind elected officials who have the courage to do what is morally and economically necessary to fix our broken immigration system. Sign on here: http://action.momsrising.org/go/4599?t=7&akid=5574.227578.Y_jYj8

While continuing to urge Congress to enact comprehensive immigration policy reform, we can also urge President Obama to honor the contributions of women and children by taking administrative action now to address the crisis of deportations and family separation.

The time is now. Children can't wait any longer -- they need to be assured that their moms and dads will indeed be coming home at the end of the day.

After you sign on, please take a moment to forward this email to friends and family so they can sign on too -- and please also post the action link on Facebook and Twitter. The more of us who sign on, the bigger the impact we will have together. Here's that action link again: http://action.momsrising.org/go/4599?t=9&akid=5574.227578.Y_jYj8

After you sign on, MomsRising and our partners at the We Belong Together women's coalition will make sure your message is delivered to Congress and to the Obama administration.

Thank you. Together we are a powerful force for children, mothers, and families.

-Mary, Elisa, Felicia, Kristin, Anita, and the entire MomsRising.org team

* Many thanks to our friends at the We Belong Together and First Focus for all their profound and tireless work to pass immigration policy reform that treats children, women and families fairly.

[1] First Focus, http://action.momsrising.org/go/4369?t=14&akid=5574.227578.Y_jYj8

[2] "Why Women Have Most at Stake in Immigration Reform," Pramila Jayapal, Co-Chair of We Belong Together forPolitico, http://action.momsrising.org/go/4370?t=16&akid=5574.227578.Y_jYj8

[3] "Why Don't They Just Get In Line?", Immigration Policy Center http://action.momsrising.org/go/4600?t=18&akid=5574.227578.Y_jYj8

[4] We Belong Together: Women for Common Sense Immigration Reform: http://action.momsrising.org/go/4371?t=20&akid=5574.227578.Y_jYj8