We Are Home Responds to Parliamentarian Ruling on Legalization

For Immediate Release: September 19, 2021

We Are Home Responds to Parliamentarian Ruling on Legalization

We Are Not Deterred

Washington, D.C. – Today, the Senate Parliamentarian ruled against including the legalization of millions of immigrants through budget reconciliation. In spite of this decision, the prospect of legalizing Dreamers, TPS holders, farmworkers and essential workers remains achievable this year.

Bridgette Gomez, Campaign Director for the We Are Home campaign said:

“Let me be clear: this is not the final word on citizenship, as we have said before this is a process. The parliamentarian has ruled on one approach, now Senate Democrats must move forward with an alternative approach.

While it is unacceptable that an unelected staff attorney for the Senate is able to block our proposal to create pathways to citizenship, our coalition is ready to pursue other avenues and use every tool at our disposal to win permanent protections this year. Democrats must fulfill their promise to our communities and help us achieve citizenship this year. The stakes are very high for millions of undocumented immigrants: permanent status, citizenship and opportunity, or detention, deportation and family separation.

“Like the millions of immigrants who have given so much to this country, especially as we continue our recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, we will keep fighting. And we call on Senate Democrats to deliver.”

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.

###