CALL TO ACTION
Action needed now! Please urge your U.S. Senators to support a budget reconciliation bill that creates pathways to citizenship for millions of immigrants.
Background
Despite widespread popular support, legislation creating pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants has stalled in Congress for years. But this is a history-making moment! Democrats might advance these reforms by including them in the annual budget bill. To get the bill - and immigration reforms - through they’ll likely use a reconciliation process, which requires only 51 votes for passage rather than the 60 votes needed to avoid a filibuster.
Your Senators need to hear from you. They need to know you support a budget reconciliation bill that includes pathways to citizenship and ends the paralysis that has left millions of hard -working immigrants and their families in limbo for far too long.
Who would benefit from immigration reforms?
President Biden, Vice President Harris and other leading Democrats are now endorsing budget bill provisions that would create pathways to citizenship for:
- Dreamers, the 2.3 million young people brought to the U.S. without papers as children. The 700,000 Deferred Action For Childhood Arrival (DACA) recipients in this group have lived and worked legally in this country since President Obama signed an executive order in 2012. Over 29,000 DACA holders are physicians, nurses, paramedics or medical students. In July 2021, a federal judge ruled that the DACA order exceeded the president’s authority. To protect DACA holders against deportation, a permanent legislative solution is critical; the budget reconciliation bill can provide it.
- Migrant farmworkers plus other essential workers including 400,000 cleaning staff, workers handling and shipping essential items, and 100,000 home health and personal care aides.
- People given Temporary Protected Status (TPS) because it would be unsafe for them to return to their home countries.
In all, about 10 million people could become eligible for a pathway to citizenship. The reforms will also likely include funding for border security.
Throughout the next few weeks, Senators will decide whether to include immigration reforms in the budget bill. It’s urgent that you contact your Senators now. Say you want a budget reconciliation bill that includes pathways to citizenship for deserving immigrants! Find contact information at https://www.congress.gov.
Make contact no matter which party your Senators belong to. All Senators need to hear that creating pathways to citizenship for deserving immigrants has widespread support. |
