Inauguration Day and a Path to Citizenship for All
January 20th, 2021. 7:08 PM (PST), Wednesday
Dear friends,
Today marks a new dawn in American democracy. President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris have officially and peaceably been sworn-in this morning, and, with that, we breathe a huge sigh of relief.
On the first day in office, the Biden-Harris administration proposed one of the most progressive immigration legislation that will give the 11 million undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship. Under the proposal, current DACA and TPS recipients along with agricultural workers would be allowed to immediately apply for permanent legal residency.
The plan will also grant temporary legal status for five years to many of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants already living in the United States. They would then be eligible for a green card after meeting certain requirements. Three years after, they could apply for citizenship. Also included in the framework is the restoration and expansion of programs for refugees and asylum seekers that were completely gutted in the past four years. This is all to be celebrated and applauded!
We must not take this moment for granted. We along with many grassroots leaders and immigrant community advocacy organizations locally and nationally have fought for it tirelessly for many years.
We also know that this bill will go through the hurdle of passing through both the House and the Senate floors in the coming months. Hence, there is no room for complacency as the stakes are high and peoples’ lives are on the line. We must remain focused, resilient and committed if we want to see this immigration bill come into fruition.
Join us as we continue to hold our representatives accountable and demand that they pass a fully inclusive, fair and just immigration policy for all. KRC along with partner organizations has launched the Citizenship4all and Yes to Immigrants Forward campaigns to put the necessary pressure on elected representatives during the next 100 days.
