Today, I’m announcing my plan for immigration reform.

Immigrants are our neighbors, our friends, our family — they make our country stronger and more diverse.

But our immigration system is broken, and we need real reform. We can create a rules-based system that is fair, humane, and that reflects our values, from expanding legal immigration and creating a fair and achievable path to citizenship to ending the hatred, ugliness, and chaos at the border.

If you want an immigration system that preserves our security, grows our economy, and reflects our values, then be a part of the grassroots movement that will make it happen. Add your name if you’re with me.

When I say that our immigration system needs to reflect our values, here’s what I plan to do:

1. Eliminate abusive enforcement and significantly reduce immigrant detention.

Entering the country without authorization has always been a violation of civil immigration law, but thanks to a former segregationist Senator, it’s also a criminal violation. This criminal prohibition is totally unnecessary for border security, and we should repeal it. As president, I will immediately end criminal prosecutions for simple administrative immigration violations and refocus our limited resources on actual criminals and real threats to the United States.

I will also reshape CBP and ICE from top to bottom. Our immigration agencies should protect Americans and uphold the rule of law, not pursue punitive policies that target communities of color. I’ll hold immigration enforcement to the same due process standards as other law enforcement agencies and strengthen watchdogs to prevent future abuses.

Under a Warren administration, if anyone’s violated the basic rights of immigrants, we’ll hold them accountable. That includes the abuses committed under the Trump administration. I'll set up a DOJ task force to investigate accusations of serious violations — including medical neglect and physical and sexual assaults — and give it independent authority to pursue any criminal allegations.

And I’ll end unnecessary detention and eliminate private detention facilities. We already have the tools to effectively track and monitor individuals without shoving them into cages and camps. As president, I’ll issue guidance ensuring detention is only used when an individual poses a flight or safety risk.

2. Provide rights and due process in our immigration courts.

To prevent future abuses, a Warren administration will establish professional, independent immigration courts and recruit highly qualified immigration judges with a diverse set of legal experiences so that everyone receives appropriate justice.

Right now, most immigrants facing deportation do not have attorneys — and in the Trump administration, that even includes toddlers. I’ll eliminate the use of expedited removal proceedings, guarantee hearings, and provide access to counsel in immigration court.

3. Welcome those in need.

Our laws and our values compel us to help those fleeing violence and oppression. My administration will raise the refugee cap and reject exclusionary policies based on race, religion, and nationality. On my first day in office, I’ll reverse Trump’s bigoted Muslim Ban.

As president, I will also reverse Trump’s efforts to stack the deck against asylum applicants. I’ll ensure that asylum seekers can safely present themselves, restore President Obama’s promise to extend asylum for those fleeing domestic or gang violence, and affirm asylum protections for gender identity and sexual orientation-based claims.

4. Grow legal immigration and establish a fair and achievable path to status.

I’ll work to expand legal immigration to grow our economy and reunify families. We should also make it easier for those eligible to naturalize, and repeal the 3- and 10-year bars preventing people from applying for legal status.

I’ll take executive action to restore and expand protections for our Dreamers. And I’ll extend deferred action protections to those who have contributed to our country for years and have built careers and families here, while also pursuing a legislative solution that provides a fair and achievable path to citizenship.

5. Address the root causes of migration.

We cannot fully address migration until we address its root causes — poverty, climate change, violence, and injustice. The solution to Central American migration isn’t placing children in cages — it’s stabilizing the countries that families are risking their lives to escape.

As president, I’ll restore and increase aid, step up efforts to address transnational crime, and protect those seeking refuge here.

Donald Trump wants to divide us — to pit worker against worker, neighbor against neighbor. He wants Americans to blame their troubles on those who are new to our country, or who don’t look the same, even as his administration robs us dry.

But we know that immigrants helped weave the very fabric of our country in the past — and we know that immigrants belong here today.

We need big, structural change to fix our immigration system. And we need a grassroots movement to make it happen. Add your name today, and let’s fix this broken system together.

Thanks for being a part of this,

Elizabeth