(Washington)—Today the House of Representatives passed a budget resolution that includes a pathway to citizenship. After years of bold organizing and tireless advocacy, legislators are no longer able to ignore the need to provide relief to millions of members of the immigrant community. As Congress spends the next weeks developing the details of this policy, the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) urges Congress members to remember that the legalization should be broad and inclusive.
“Legislation premised on the notion that individuals subject to overpolicing, racial profiling or otherwise impacted by a criminal legal system infected by racism should be treated as disposable falls short of ILRC’s vision for immigrant justice,” said ILRC’s policy director, Sameera Hafiz. “As Congress hashes out the details of legalization, our elected officials must remember that our communities expect bold solutions.”
“Eligibility for immigration relief should not be linked to an individual’s contact with the criminal legal system. Congress should look to solutions like the New Way Forward Act that would decriminalize immigration and address injustices and systemic racism in the U.S. immigration system,” said Hafiz.
By making sure all immigrants are included in legalization policies, Congress can create a pathway to citizenship that is transformational for all undocumented immigrants, their families, and their communities.
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The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) is a national nonprofit that works with immigrants, community organizations, legal professionals, and policy makers to build a democratic society that values diversity and the rights of all people. Through community education programs, legal training & technical assistance, and policy development & advocacy, the ILRC works to protect and defend the fundamental rights of immigrant families and communities.