John,

Today, we celebrate the contributions of our immigrant essential worker fathers, who were pivotal in keeping our country open during the pandemic. Beyond working in essential services to help keep New Yorkers afloat during the worst of the country’s shutdown, they continue to support our economic recovery. On Father's Day we honor all of the immigrant fathers who live in constant fear of being separated from their children. 

Fathers like Manuel, who works on a dairy farm in upstate New York, ensured that New Yorkers had access to fresh milk throughout the pandemic, despite a lack of workplace protections from COVID-19. When he contracted the virus he was concerned for his children’s health, but without legal status was afraid to seek medical care. Immigrant essential workers like Manuel risk their own health and safety every day, while also living with the stress and insecurity of potentially being ripped from their families and communities. With a path to citizenship, Manuel would be assured that he wouldn’t be returned to the poverty and violence he fled, in Guatemala, and have the stability his family needs to thrive.

Together, we passed significant legislation in New York to protect essential workers in the workplace, but we must go further by providing immigrant fathers and their families with permanent protections. Anything less would be to ignore the immense sacrifices immigrant essential workers have made to our country in our time of need. 

The most important way we can celebrate Father’s Day this year is by providing families with the security and safety of citizenship! Without the contributions of immigrant frontline workers, our communities would be in a critical state. Celebrate the role of immigrant fathers and their families in our country by calling on Congress to create a pathway to citizenship today!

In solidarity,

Murad Awawdeh
Executive Director