Dear John,
How do we fix a broken immigration system in this current political climate? The answer is not always clear, but we do know that we must watch for windows of opportunity that prioritize keeping families together, ensuring civil and human rights for immigrants, and creating a pathway to citizenship for the largest number of undocumented immigrants possible. And we must act as rapidly and as powerfully as we can before the window closes.
Understanding the Opportunity
We have an opportunity like that in front of us now in Congress in the form of H.R. 1511, Renewing Immigration Provisions of the Immigration Act of 1929, also known as the Registry Bill. (The Senate companion bill number is S. 2606.) This legislation makes one simple change in the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1929 by changing a date—January 1, 1972—which has been changed 4 times since the original passage of the law and most recently during the Reagan Administration.
Under the current law, anyone who entered the United States without a visa before January 1, 1972, can apply for a “green card.” The green card creates legal resident status for the individual and in 5 years makes that person eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship. The problem, however, with the current date is that most of the 11 million undocumented folks in this country were born after that date and do not qualify for the provision.
Instead of simply substituting a new date for the old one, the proposed change would allow for anyone in the country for seven years to apply for a “green card” or legal resident status. This solution creates a pathway to citizenship for the largest number of undocumented immigrants possible.
Taking Action
Do you know if your U.S. Representative or Senators have signed on as co-sponsors to H.R. 1511 or S. 2606? You can find out here (for the House of Representatives) or here (for the Senate).
When you know the answer to the above question, contact your Members of Congress. Use the Capitol Switchboard phone number, (202) 224-3121 or (888) 352-3520, and ask for your Member’s office. Then credential yourself and thank those Members who have signed on to one of the bills as a co-sponsor. For those Members who have not signed on as co-sponsors, urge them to take the moral and courageous step of signing on as a co-sponsor.
Your action can make a difference in the lives of millions of immigrants!
In solidarity,
Pablo Tapia, Chair, Gamaliel Civil Rights for Immigrants Campaign
