The halting of major elements of Arizona's immigration law hasn't changed much at the national level.

Activists continue their efforts to persuade lawmakers to their side. As hundreds of young children – many of them American citizens with parents who came here illegally – marched outside the White House, their opponents held meetings on Capitol Hill.

"Arizona has driven a lot of activity across the country," Roy Beck of Numbers U.S.A., which favors reduced immigration, said. "But we have been trying to get Congress and the President to have immigration policies that are positive and friendly to the unemployed.

Beck's group, which claims to have more than 1 million grassroots supporters, has argued that the nation should not be considering amnesty or continued immigration – legal or illegal – at a time when many Americans are out of work.

Numbers U.S.A. also opposes the DREAM Act and changes to the AgJOBS bill that many immigrant-rights groups have sought in lieu of a comprehensive overhaul.

Beck added that he would continue to pursue Arizona-like laws in other states despite Wednesday's injunction and the federal lawsuit.

At the White House rally, Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) praised the injunction but agreed with Beck that the victory didn't change his demands.

"We cannot rest," the lawmaker said. "We actually need to redouble our efforts."

Gutierrez and the young advocates met with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) earlier in the day to discuss the new piecemeal approach to immigration. In addition to the two bills advocates are pushing, the lawmaker sought an immediate moratorium on deportations.

Despite the Obama administration's opposition to the Arizona enforcement law, the federal government continues to make record numbers of deportations.

Wednesday's rally, which was organized by CASA de Maryland, aimed to highlight that fact. The protesters sang parts of "Born in the U.S.A." and held signs saying, "It is in your hands, Mr. President."

Kelley Fajardo, 13, traveled from Houston to attend Wednesday's rally. Her sister Karen, 17, wore a shirt that said, "Don't deport my dad."

Their father is undergoing deportation proceedings and could be shipped back to Mexico. Both sisters are U.S. citizens but the rest of their family, including three older brothers attending American universities, is undocumented.

"When we see a police officer, we have to hide," Kelley said. "We fear that they are going to take our parents away."

Despite what's happening in Arizona, Gutierrez noted that the fear remains alive for more than 12 million illegal immigrants nationwide.

On the other side, Beck offers a statistic of his own.

"When [lawmakers] deal with immigration, they do not think of the 25 million Americans who can't find full-time jobs," he said.

Ambreen Ali writes for Congress.org.

Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.