It’s been 102 days since the US Senate passed a bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill with overwhelming support. Since then, however, all progress has been stalled by the U.S. House of Representatives. House leadership has said consistently that they don’t want to vote on the Senate bill; they want to do their own thing.
Now Representatives from both parties have the chance to make good on their promises to do something on immigration: a group of Representatives have just introduced a comprehensive immigration reform bill.
We have a long, tough fight ahead and the bill is far from perfect — but if it passes, it would:
- Provide a path to citizenship for a vast majority of the 11 million
- Removes the “border surge” found in the Senate bill
- Reunite many families separated by deportation
- Protect immigrant workers
- Force DHS to focus on results rather than just continuing to expand immigration enforcement indefinitely.
- Allow nearly 11 million immigrants to work, travel and live without fear of deportation (including some with final removal orders)
- Grant a 5 year path to citizenship for Dreamers and farm workers
- Provides immigration status and affordable housing to victims of domestic abuse
- Prohibit ICE from conducting raids/arrests outside schools, churches, hospitals and other “sensitive locations”
A majority of lawmakers in the House have already said they would support a pathway to citizenship. If we want to see action on reform this year, we need as many members of Congress – both Republicans and Democrats – to put their words into action and to co-sponsor this new immigration bill in the House.
For us, this struggle is personal. The high cost of inaction on immigration deeply affects our churches, friends, families, and communities. Since the Senate passed their immigration bill, over 100,000 aspiring Americans have been deported, and that number grows every single day. We will not stop until we achieve a permanent solution that grants dignity and respect to all immigrant workers and families, and that means a chance for 11 million aspiring Americans to earn citizenship in the country they call home.
The Senate passed their immigration bill months ago in June. Now it’s time for the House to act and do the same. Click here to take action now.
