Six principles for a better immigration system.
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John,

Last night, as I watched President Biden's State of the Union address,
I was encouraged that the president highlighted the current border
challenges and the need for immigration reforms. Now more than ever, our
country needs the president and Congress to address immigration reforms
and pave the way for practical solutions that make America safe, strong
and welcoming. We need Congress to take the president up on his offer,
when he said, "let's fix it."

We came close to progress earlier this year, when Senate Republicans and
Democrats worked together on **a bill**

that included certainty for our Afghan Allies and so-called "documented
Dreamers", as well as reforms to the asylum adjudication process. It
ultimately didn't pass, but this should be **the beginning, not the
end**
,
of the two parties working together on immigration.  

Public opinion is **clear**

- Americans want leaders who will prioritize working together on
immigration and border solutions, not leaders who are divisive and
polarizing. In the State of the Union address, and throughout 2024, we
are looking for leaders to address immigration reforms and lay the
groundwork to enact solutions for a stronger and more welcoming
nation.  

With that in mind, and as we already hear the heated rhetoric of the
campaigns for president and other offices, the National Immigration
Forum has introduced **"A Better Way Forward: 2024 Immigration
Principles."**

They reflect our deeply rooted values as a nation. These principles
should guide any leader working for an orderly, secure and humane
immigration system. 

**Add your name to show your support for these immigration principles!**

Here they are: 

**1. Show compassion and justice to longtime residents, including
Dreamers, by allowing them an opportunity to earn lawful status and
citizenship. **

Immigrants make countless contributions every day alongside native-born
Americans, improving our communities and enriching the fabric of our
nation. We need an updated immigration system that creates legal
pathways for longtime residents to earn lawful status and continue
living in the country they call home. 

**2. Continue our moral leadership in the world as a welcoming and
compassionate nation that offers refuge to the persecuted. **

In the midst of a global migration crisis, the U.S. faces significant
challenges to provide refuge to those fleeing persecution while also
maintaining safety and order at our borders. These challenges have
demonstrated the need to revisit and modernize our asylum system so that
it is secure, efficient and humane. 

**3. Honor the human dignity of all people through our words and
actions. **

By a 35-point spread in a **recent poll**
,
registered voters agree that "language that dehumanizes migrants at U.S.
borders contradicts our values and harms efforts by Republicans and
Democrats to work together on commonsense solutions." In the most
extreme circumstances, language that mimics extremist conspiracy
theories such as the **Great Replacement Theory**

has hateful and violent consequences. Our leaders must defend human
dignity and push back against such harmful language.  

Leaders must not only speak humanely when discussing immigration, but
also enact solutions that prioritize human dignity. Amid stories of
**family separation**

and **lives lost**

on the way to the U.S., it is more imperative than ever for leaders to
live up to our values as Americans - through words that treat migrants
humanely, but also through enacting compassionate policies that honor
human dignity. 

**Show your support for our leaders to use more constructive rhetoric
and craft legislation according to our shared values.**

**4. Address the need for safety and security on the border and in our
communities. Promote community trust and safety by focusing immigration
enforcement on threats to public safety and national security and
preserving federal leadership in setting immigration enforcement
policy.** 

Immigration solutions must include secure, humane and just **border
policies**
. We
know ensuring safety and security both at the border and within our
communities is paramount for the well-being of all residents.  

**5. Enable fair and orderly legal immigration that continues to
solidify our global economic leadership. Modernize laws to reduce
backlogs and improve work visa programs for current and future
workers. **

Immigrants are vital to the growth of our nation and economy, and we
must create a fair and orderly legal immigration system that allows them
to continue contributing to our nation.  

**6. Defend the longstanding constitutional principle of birthright
citizenship. **

Birthright citizenship is a foundational principle of American
democracy, as set out in the 14th Amendment. Enacted in the years
following the Civil War, this amendment enshrines core American values
including due process and equal protection.  

The 14th Amendment is clear: "All persons born or naturalized in the
United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of
the United States and of the state wherein they reside." 

For more than a century, the U.S. Supreme Court has held that this
clause applies to children born on U.S. soil, regardless of the
immigration status of their parents. Any effort to undermine birthright
citizenship through executive action or legislation runs counter to our
constitutional framework and history - not to mention **our values**
. 

**Show your support for a conversation around immigration that unifies
rather than divides, and to pass the solutions Americans need and
want.**

Thanks for all you do to build a more constructive conversation around
immigration in your community,

Jennie Murray

**President & CEO**

**National Immigration Forum**

****

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