Girl who greeted Pope had immigration message
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Sophie Cruz, 5, of suburban Los Angeles reaches to give Pope Francis a letter and t-shirt during a parade in Washington D.C. (AP)
A girl who was handed up to Pope Francis during his parade in Washington shared a message about immigration.
Alicia Flores of La Hermandad, an immigration advocacy group, says the girl is 5-year-old Sophie Cruz.
Sophie got beyond a barricade and approached the popemobile Wednesday morning, carrying a T-shirt bearing a message about the status of immigrant parents of children born in the United States. She also carried a letter addressed to the pope that bore her name and address in suburban Los Angeles.
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Sophie shied back when a bodyguard came near. But when the pope gestured to her, she allowed the bodyguard to pick her up and bring her forward for a papal kiss and blessing. A guard passed the shirt and message into the popemobile.