A coalition of immigrant rights groups in California took part in a series of events Wednesday in support of immigration reform as part of a National Day of Action.

California has the largest number of immigrants in the United States with 27 percent of its residents being immigrants, and the voice for immigration reform is very strong in the state.

A diverse coalition of more than 500 community members and immigrant rights, labor, civil rights, and faith leaders gathered in front of California Senator Dianne Feinstein's West LA office, urging her to be a leader for fair and just immigration reform that keeps families together.

Immigrant rights groups have planned to march to all four of Senator Feinstein's offices in California to urge her to take more active actions to achieve the goal.

Jorge-Mario Cabrera, spokesman for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), told Xinhua that similar events have been held in Washington D.C. and other big cities in the U.S. to bring awareness of the American people on why a comprehensive immigration reform is necessary.

Asked on whether the chance for the U.S. Congress to pass the immigration reform legislation is good this time, Cabrera said that depends on the involvement of the communities. If more communities get involved, the chances are better.

He said Wednesday's event is part of the National Day of Action, and a much bigger event will be held on May 1, the International Labor Day.

Cabrera said Senator Feinstein is the senior U.S. Senator representing California, the largest state with most immigrants and a state with the largest number of undocumented immigrants. However, she has remained silent on the issues of family reunion and immigration reform.

"We need her to be out there exercising her leadership, we want her to be a champion in immigration reform," said Cabrera.

Betty Hung, policy director of the Asian Pacific American Legal Center in Los Angeles, said this is a crucial moment to bring supporters to Washington and as many other cities as possible.

"I think the stakes are extremely high," she said.

"And my hope is that the Senate and the House of Representatives, those crafting an immigration reform bill really hear us," said Hung.

She said that Senator Feinstein is not only the senior senator from California, she also sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee which will be vetting an immigration reform bill.

Although the general trend is in favor of immigration reform right now, Hung said she is concerned about proposals by some Republican senators to eliminate residents' rights to petition for legal status for undocumented family members who are older than 21. That would be a setback for many Asian and Latino families.

Immigration reform advocates are calling for a comprehensive solution to fix the country's broken immigration system - one that affirms family-based immigration and family reunification, raises the quality of jobs for all workers, keeps families together, and creates a realistic roadmap for aspiring citizens.

Groups joining Wednesday's march and rally in Los Angeles include the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC), Asian Pacific Islanders for Immigrant Rights and Empowerment (API FIRE), the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), and the Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance (KIWA). Endi

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