News that President Barack Obama is delaying immigration reform did not fare well with a group of activists who have been working for many years to see a change in the system.
Before heading off on a road trip to Washington D.C. Sunday, more than 30 children and volunteers from South Florida got off their bus to send a clear message to the president.
"It's urgent you know every day a thousand more families are separated," said Andrea Mercado.
On Saturday, White House officials announced the president will delay taking executive action on immigration. In an exclusive interview on "Meet the Press" President Obama defended his decision.
"A surge of kids who were showing up at the border got a lot of attention and a lot of Americans started thinking, 'We've got this immigration crisis on our hands,'" President Obama said. "And what I want to do is, when I take executive action, I want to make sure that it's sustainable."
The South Florida children traveling to D.C. plan to ask President Obama to halt deportations. The delegation has also set up meetings with U.S. representatives to garner their support.
"From babies to 18 years old, [they] are going to tell their stories in washington, D.C.," Mercado said. "These stories will break your heart and I think they're important to share why action and administrative action by the president is so important."
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Most children aboard the bus are saddened to hear of the president's decision. Elena Marquez's dad was deported 2 years ago.
"It made me feel like my whole world got upside down," Marquez said. "Torn apart, because my dad had never left us before."'
"In Washington they're very focused on politics right now on elections and on politics," Mercado said. "These kids are bringing the human angle, and the stories, and the families suffering to the forefront."
It's just that point about playing politics that the President rejected during his interview with Chuck Todd. He said the postponement is not a tactic intended to help Democrats before midterm elections.
"I'm going to act because it's the right thing for the country," Obama said. "But it's going to be more sustainble and more effective if the public understands what the facts are."
The bus is scheduled to arrive in the nation's capital Monday morning.
