Group Of Chicago-Area Nuns Pressuring Congress On Immigration Reform

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A group of nuns from the Chicago area are hoping they can push Congress to pass immigration reform at last, reports WBBM's Nancy Harty.

Sister Simone Campbell spoke to a group of Catholic sisters and brothers and Catalyst Maria Charter School on Chicago's South Side, complimenting them on a Lenten project to contact Catholic members of Congress about immigration that swamped the phones lines of many DC offices.

Now Sister Simone hopes to put that pressure on traditional Republicans who she says are too scared of Tea Party members to act.

"As they then lose power it frees up the leadership to not be so afraid of them, so this is actually an important step to shake it loose now. It is not that we need to get Tea Party people out of office, we just need to get the fear of them by ordinary Republicans reduced," she said.

Sister Marilyn Koflar of the Sisters of Providence of St.-Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, left the meeting ready to do what she can to pressure representatives - mainly through prayer.

Campbell, who was part of a national tour in 2012 called, "Nuns On A Bus" encourages people upset with the Obama administration over deportations to focus that energy on Congress saying it's the one responsible for the law.

Campbell is hopeful lawmakers will vote on immigration before an August deadline. Senators approved a bill about a year ago. The House has failed to vote on the measure.