18 FEBRUARY 2021

Immigration Hub: U.S. Citizenship Act Is Key to America’s Recovery

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Rep. Linda Sanchez (CA-38), in conjunction with the Biden-Harris administration, will introduce the US Citizenship Act of 2021. In response, Sergio Gonzales, Executive Director of the Immigration Hub, issued the following statement:

“We wholeheartedly welcome the introduction of the U.S. Citizenship Act-- a visionary and bold plan to transform our immigration system. As part of the Biden-Harris administration’s promise to undo the previous administration’s cruel anti-immigrant agenda, the bill would extend legal status and citizenship to 11 million of our friends, family and neighbors. For Dreamers, TPS-holders, and essential workers on the frontlines of the pandemic, and Black immigrants still facing deportation on a daily basis, these protections are not only long overdue but are also critical to our country’s economic recovery. Most importantly, this bill would give millions of people the opportunity to fully contribute to our country without trade-offs for a bloated deportation apparatus or draconian enforcement initiatives that have only served to exacerbate an already broken system.

“Americans of all walks of life, including a clear majority of voters, overwhelmingly support a path to citizenship for immigrants because it is the fair and humane thing to do. Thirty-five years have passed since the last major immigration reform act was enacted and immigrant families have been neglected and failed by our country’s enforcement-only approach to immigration. We also applaud Senator Menendez, Representative Sanchez, and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus for their leadership on this critical piece of legislation. Following decades of deportations and billions spent on ICE and CBP, the time for action is and must be now.

“While the Biden-Harris administration has taken historic actions to immediately address the issues plaguing our immigration system and undo the harms of the previous administration, there is still plenty of work to be done to rebuild an immigration system rooted in fairness and humanity. We look forward to working with the administration and Congress to ensure these goals are achieved.”

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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.