29 JULY 2021

Pressure Rises as States and Cities Call on Congress to Act on a Pathway to Citizenship

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Top officials across 29 states and 85 cities are coming together to call on Congress to pass a pathway to citizenship now. Momentum has continued to build in support of citizenship for Dreamers, farm workers, TPS-holders and essential workers as new data shows overwhelming bipartisan support for citizenship among people across the country. While Republican leaders attempt to fearmonger against immigrants and undermine efforts to include citizenship in budget reconciliation, state and local public officials are also speaking out through letters to Congress, statements, social media and conversations with the media to pressure Congress to act.

This week, more than 80 mayors, listed below, signed onto a letter calling for Congress to act on citizenship by ensuring immigration provisions are included within the budget package passed through reconciliation. Following the letter, several mayors joined advocates for a press call to discuss the critical role immigrants play in their communities and demand a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, essential workers, and their families and call on federal policymakers to act. On the call, the mayors highlighted:

  • The critical role immigrants play in their communities: “Two-thirds of undocumented workers have been on the front lines, putting their lives on the line throughout this pandemic,” said Mayor Paige Cognetti (Scranton, PA).

  • The need for federal policymakers to act -- now: “Now is the time to fix it and prioritize citizenship for our undocumented immigrant families that contribute so much to our community,” said Mayor Libby Schaaf (Oakland, CA).

  • The critical role that undocumented workers and their families played throughout the pandemic: "We have the chance to pass a comprehensive plan for those who stepped up to support our country during the pandemic while contributing to our economy,” said Mayor Regina Romero (Tucson, AZ).

Mayors from Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Raleigh and Durham also echoed the call to deliver citizenship for immigrant communities in the local papers. Across the country, mayors from coast to coast additionally tweeted their support for inclusion of a path to citizenship in the budget reconciliation proposal.

Throughout 2021, Democratic Governors across the country have been coming together to mobilize Congress to act, including:

New data from Data for Progress shows voters across parties support a path to citizenship while new immigration polling from Gallup finds that over the past quarter-century Americans have become increasingly pro-immigrant, finding that Americans think immigration is a “good thing” rather than a “bad thing” for the country today.

List of 7/26 Mayors Calling for Citizenship through Budget Reconciliation:

Mayor Randall L. Woodfin, Birmingham, Alabama
Mayor Regina Romero, Tucson, Arizona
Mayor Jesse Arreguin, Berkeley, California
Mayor Mary Casillas Salas, Chula Vista, California
Mayor Robert Garcia, Long Beach, California
Mayor Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles, California
Mayor Libby Schaaf, Oakland, California
Mayor Tom Butt, Richmond, California
Mayor Todd Gloria, San Diego, California
Mayor Sam Liccardo, San José, California
Mayor Mike Coffman, Aurora, Colorado
Mayor Sam Weaver, Boulder, Colorado
Mayor Michael B. Hancock, Denver, Colorado
Mayor Marcia A. Leclerc, East Hartford, Connecticut
Mayor Steve B. Wilson, Belle Glade, Florida
Mayor Tamara James, Dania Beach, Florida
Mayor Lauren Poe, Gainesville, Florida
Mayor Hazelle Rogers, Lauderdale Lakes, Florida
Mayor Ken Thurston, Lauderhill, Florida
Mayor Dan Gelber, Miami Beach, Florida
Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Miami-Dade County, Florida
Mayor Wayne M. Messam, Miramar, Florida
Mayor Philippe Bien-Aime, North Miami, Florida
Mayor Sally B. Philips, South Miami, Florida
Mayor Mike Ryan, Sunrise, Florida
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Atlanta, Georgia
Mayor Lauren McLean, Boise, Idaho
Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, Chicago, Illinois
Mayor Rick Sowers, Dodge City, Kansas
Mayor Greg Fischer, Louisville, Kentucky
Mayor Patrick Wojahn, College Park, Maryland
Mayor Jeffrey Slavin, Somerset, Maryland
Mayor Kate Stewart, Takoma Park, Maryland
Mayor Kim Janey, Boston, Massachusetts
Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Mayor Yvonne M. Spicer, Framingham, Massachusetts
Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, Somerville, Massachusetts
Mayor Mike Duggan, Detroit, Michigan
Mayor Karen Majewski, Hamtramck, Michigan
Mayor Rosalynn Bliss, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Mayor Kurt Metzger, Pleasant Ridge, Michigan
Mayor Jacob Frey, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Mayor Melvin Carter, Saint Paul, Minnesota
Mayor Tishaura O. Jones, St. Louis, Missouri
Mayor Steven M. Fulop, Jersey City, New Jersey
Mayor Ras J. Baraka, Newark, New Jersey
Mayor Adrian O. Mapp, Plainfield, New Jersey
Mayor Mark Freda, Princeton, New Jersey
Mayor Brian P. Stack, Union City, New Jersey
Mayor Timothy M. Keller, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Mayor Javier Perea, Sunland Park, New Mexico
Mayor Byron W. Brown, Buffalo, New York
Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York, New York
Mayor Lovely A. Warren, Rochester, New York
Mayor Esther Manheimer, Asheville, North Carolina
Mayor Rennie W. Brantz, Boone, North Carolina
Mayor Ian Baltutis, Burlington, North Carolina
Mayor Lydia Lavelle, Carrboro, North Carolina
Mayor Pam Hemminger, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Mayor Steve Schewel, Durham, North Carolina
Mayor Jennifer Weaver, Hillsborough, North Carolina
Mayor TJ Cawley, Town of Morrisville, North Carolina
Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin, Raleigh, North Carolina
Mayor Emily Marburger, Bellevue, Pennsylvania
Mayor Timothy A. Scott, Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Mayor Joseph Schember, Erie, Pennsylvania
Mayor James F. Kenney, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Mayor William Peduto, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Mayor Paige G. Cognetti, Scranton, Pennsylvania
Mayor Marita Garrett, Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania
Mayor Jorge O. Elorza, Providence, Rhode Island
Mayor Tim Kelly, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Mayor Jim Strickland, Memphis, Tennessee
Mayor John Cooper, Nashville, Tennessee
Mayor Steve Adler, Austin, Texas
Mayor Eric Johnson, Dallas, Texas
Mayor Sylvester Turner, Houston, Texas
Mayor Erin Mendenhall, Salt Lake City, Utah
Mayor Jenny Wilson, Salt Lake County, Utah
Mayor Levar Stoney, Richmond, Virginia
Mayor Cassie Franklin, Everett, Washington
Mayor Jenny A. Durkan, Seattle, Washington
Mayor Victoria R. Woodards, Tacoma, Washington
Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, Madison, Wisconsin

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The Immigration Hub is a national organization dedicated to advancing fair and just immigration policies through strategic leadership, innovative communications strategies, legislative advocacy and collaborative partnerships.