Washington, DC - OCA𑁋Asian Pacific American Advocates looks forward to immigration reform in President Biden’s new immigration bill. The Citizenship Act of 2021 was introduced on Friday, February 19, 2021, by Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Representative Linda T. Sánchez (D-CA). 

Creating earned pathways to citizenship for undocument individuals, restoring expansions to asylum-seekers and refugees, protecting immigrant workers, and keeping families together with commitments to clearing the backlog of immigration cases are just some of the victories that The Citizenship Act of 2021 provides.

While we appreciate the immigration relief and reform that this bill provides, we must continue to fight and end the discrimination and deportation of immigrants--particularly Black and Southeast Asian immigrants--that are impacted by racist elements within the criminal legal system. OCA is committed to being a staunch advocate for humanitarian treatment of immigrants including increased accessibility to health care and other critical services lacking in the immigrant community.

“Many of these immigration reforms are long overdue,” says Linda Ng, National President of OCA. “We’re thankful to see comprehensive and humanitarian expansions of pathways to citizenship. Many residents in this country have feared for the safety and status of themselves, their families, and friends. We hope to see commitments to ensuring equity in the legal system when it comes to immigration cases, and an end to deportations of immigrants.”

If you, your family members, someone you know, or community members have experienced xenophobia, discrimination, or harassment, please report the incident using our hate crime reporting tool at aapihatecrimes.org.

OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates is a national civil rights organization dedicated to improving the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs).

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