US President Barack Obama Friday visited activists on a hunger strike in the National Mall demanding that comprehensive immigration reform be passed in the country. He said he was proud of them.

 

 Accompanied by first lady Michelle Obama, the president went Friday morning from  the White House to the white tents near the Capitol where the activists have camped  without eating since Nov 12.

 

 The Obamas expressed their support for Eliseo Medina, secretary-treasurer of the  Service Employees International Union, who has already lost close to 10 kg, as well as to Dae Joong Yoon, executive director of the National Korean American Service and Education Consortium.

 

 The president and his wife spent close to 30 minutes with the activists, but the  White House would not reveal what they talked about.

 

 "As families begin to gather for Thanksgiving, I'm thinking of the brave  #Fast4Families immigration reform advocates. We're with you. -mo," the first lady  tweeted.

 

 Organisers hope to persuade people around the country to join the fast for the  first three days of December to ask the leader of the Republican-controlled House  of Representative, John Boehner, to unblock the path to immigration reform that  would give legal status to 11 million people.

 

 The hunger strike began the day before Boehner said that House Republicans would  not debate immigration reform during the rest of this year, though the Senate  passed a bipartisan reform measure in June.