FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, March 18, 2021
Media Contacts
Bruna Sollod | bruna@unitedwedream.org | 202-850-0812
“This is a historic milestone in our fight for citizenship for all.”
Washington, D.C. – Today, in a historic victory for the immigrant rights movement, the House of Representatives voted 228-197 to pass the Dream & Promise Act and 247-174 to pass the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, two bills that would collectively provide a pathway to citizenship to over 5 million immigrant youth, TPS holders and farm workers.
Greisa Martinez Rosas, Executive Director of United We Dream and Co-chair of the We Are Home campaign, said:
“The House’s passage of the Dream & Promise Act and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act are major victories firmly grounded in our movement’s unwavering commitment to winning citizenship for all 11 million undocumented people in the U.S. After four years of one of the most openly anti-immigrant administration’s in recent history, this moment is filled with incredible opportunity for Congress and the White House to chart a new path forward and deliver long overdue relief for undocumented people; something which has not been done in nearly 35 years.
With DACA currently at risk in the courts and over 9 million undocumented immigrants who remain cruelly excluded from COVID-19 recovery packages simply because of their status, the Senate must act with the urgency this moment requires and pass the Dream, Secure and Farm Workforce Modernization Acts—counterparts to the Dream & Promise and Farm Workforce Modernization bills in the House— without delay. Given the overwhelming majority of Americans who support a pathway to citizenship for immigrant youth, TPS holders and farm workers, the Senate has a political mandate to take action and prioritize what the American people want by passing both bills immediately. There is absolutely no justification for excuses or delays!
We know that there are still millions of undocumented people who would not be protected under these bills. That is why the We Are Home campaign remains headstrong in our fight to win citizenship for all 11 million undocumented people in the U.S. and will do everything in our power to hold the Biden administration accountable to its promises. We refuse to stop until we win meaningful change that includes everyone in our communities.”
Patrice S. Lawrence, Co-Executive Director of UndocuBlack Network, said:
“The urgency of this moment is a culmination of the years of tireless organizing and advocacy by impacted communities. UndocuBlack members have marched down the halls of Congress demanding permanent protections for our communities since the formal inception of our network in early 2016.
As Black undocumented people, we are tired of living in limbo, tired of being exploited and abused in our workplaces because of our immigration status, and tired of holding onto the traumas of being separated from our loved ones and homelands.To be our full selves, we need access to resources and freedom to move. It is for this reason that we do not stand for the criminalizing language in any bill and also recognize that we must rip out unjust laws that do not serve us so that they can no longer be status quo.
For us, H.R. 6, citizenship for all undocumented people, regardless of their background, is something we fought for and we fully expect The American Dream and Promise Act, together with the FarmWork Modernization Bill to become law by the summer of 2021. We also expect and need the passage of the Essential Workers Act into law with expediency.”
Teresa Romero, President of the United Farm Workers, said:
“The House passage of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act and the Dream and Promise Act is a testament that we are on the march to victory to winning legalization for millions of undocumented people. Passing these bills in the first 100 days shows the commitment of the House to support Dreamers, TPS recipients and farm workers.
We hail the House passage of legislation that honors the professional farm workers who feed the entire United States and much of the world. Through their hard work, farm workers have earned the right to a stable future in the United States. The first step under the Farm Workforce Modernization Act is a work permit giving workers and their immediate family the freedom to return to join their loved ones in their home countries. Eventually, workers and their families will be able to apply for permanent residence and later for citizenship. This is the result of a tough but thoughtful compromise with bipartisan lawmakers and agricultural employers. Bill sponsors anticipate a bipartisan group of senators will introduce a Senate version of the measure and we call on senators to vote on it soon.”
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We Are Home is a nationwide campaign fighting to ensure that “we the people” includes all of us. Our mission is to transform America’s inhumane immigration system. We must undo the damage of the last four years and build a new immigration system that is fair, humane, functional, and centered in racial justice, and respects all people, regardless of race, religion, or birthplace. And we must immediately enact legislation that creates a roadmap to citizenship for every immigrant who calls this country home.. We Are Home is co-chaired by Community Change/Community Change Action; National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA)/Care in Action; Service Employees International Union (SEIU); United Farm Workers (UFW), and United We Dream.