For Immediate Release: July 15, 2021

Contact: press@wearehome.us

We Are Home Campaign Responds to Inclusion of Citizenship Measures in Democratic Budget Agreement

It’s time to step up to the moment

Washington, D.C. – Last night, Senate Democrats announced a $3.5 trillion infrastructure budget and, according to Senator Alex Padilla, it includes pathways to citizenship for an unspecified number of immigrants.

Sen. Padilla, a member of the Senate Budget Committee, said on a Tuesday afternoon press call, before the agreement was announced, that his “understanding and expectation is that immigration is included in that reconciliation package.” Last night, following news of the budget agreement, Senator Padilla tweeted, “Tonight we took a big step forward in making major investments in critical infrastructure for the American people — from climate to childcare and immigration.”

While we await details on who is covered and how many are covered, it is now clear that Senate Democrats are including legalization in the human infrastructure package that is part of the President’s Build Back Better agenda.

Bridgette Gomez, Campaign Director for the We Are Home campaign issued the following statement:

“This is the year to put millions on pathways to citizenship. Democrats have included citizenship, along with jobs, care and climate, in a reconciliation package that can be enacted by simple majorities in the House and the Senate. We are encouraged at the inclusion of immigration provisions in the agreement, and intend to fight to keep them in all the way to final passage.

A pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, TPS holders, farm workers and other essential workers has overwhelming bipartisan support—including from majorities of Independents and Republicans. These measures will boost our economy, create new jobs for all, raise wages for all, and level the playing field for all. We are confident citizenship for immigrants will qualify for under the budget reconciliation rules.

To Build Back Better, we have to make sure everyone is included and everyone plays their part. Along with jobs, care, climate and other aspects of the package, citizenship for immigrant workers and families is an integral part of our nation’s recovery from the worst public health disaster in 100 years. It is morally repugnant that millions of immigrants who sacrifice for all of us to keep us safe are considered by our government as “essential” and “deportable.”

We will keep pushing Democrats and Republicans to ensure that the human infrastructure package includes immigrant workers and families. Failure is not an option.”

We Are Home is a nationwide campaign to fight for immigrant communities on three fronts: prioritizing and demanding a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants in America; a moratorium and overhaul of interior enforcement; and broad affirmative relief from deportation. 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 Foundation; and United We Dream.

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