Families divided by immigration reform - KMSP-TV

President Obama delivered his highly anticipated speech on immigration Tuesday, saying that the country is close to reform and that the time to fix the immigration system is now.

The Obama Administration has already deported more than 1 million people; a threat now facing the Munoz family in Chicago.

SEE: 51 undocumented, convicted criminals and fugitives arrested

Johnny Munoz, 10, couldn't stop the tears from coming Tuesday night. The Chicago-born U.S. citizen was talking about the potential deportation confronting his father, Efraim. After living and working in the U.S. for 14 years, he was arrested in an immigration raid two months ago. A lawyer and the defense committee at this Anglican Church mission are negotiating to prevent his deportation, but he may yet be sent back to Mexico.

When asked how it makes him feel, Johnny said, "Sad. Because he's gonna be over there. And we'll be over here, with the rest of our family."

Although parents Efraim and Paula Munoz have spent nearly half their lives in the U.S., mostly in Chicago, the couple has never learned to speak English. That's a key requirement of competing immigration reform proposals offered by the President and a bipartisan group of senators. To legalize their status, immigrants would also have to pay any back taxes they owe and pass a test on the basics of American government. Through a translator, Efraim told FOX 32 News it would take him a long time to get all that done, but that he would comply if given the chance.

A longtime conservative activist told us FOX 32's Mike Flannery why he opposes giving the Munoz Family that chance.

"Life is difficult. Life is very hard and we have to make difficult choices," Carl Segvich says. "The liberal, the left like to tug on our heartstrings and say, ‘We're breaking those families apart by not letting another member come to the United States.' The Families have been torn apart, tragically. But that tearing apart started the moment one of those family members broke into our country."

Carl Segvich is a Republican Committeeman of the South Side 11th Ward. He accuses Republican Senators Marco Rubio and John McCain of "political pandering" with the immigration reforms they've proposed. While they differ with the Democrats, both parties are proposing to toughen up border enforcement.