The U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 Marks a New Era for Immigrant Justice

February 18, 2021

The most comprehensive immigration bill known as the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 has been formally introduced today to Congress by Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif) and Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.).

This legislation proposed by the Biden administration finally crafts a path to citizenship for most of the 11 million undocumented Americans. This is a major victory that we have long fought for alongside our fellow immigrant rights advocates at the local and national levels.

The Korean Resource Center (KRC) fully supports the Biden administration’s move to overhaul our broken immigration system. This is a huge step in the right direction and one that seeks to restore dignity and justice to the immigrant community who have been vilified and battered, especially under the previous administration.

The significant component of the legislation is the eight-year path to citizenship for most of the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. as of January 1st of this year. This group will be allowed to live and work in the U.S. for five years after passing background checks and paying taxes, followed by the ability to apply for a green card, providing them permanent status in the U.S. and the opportunity to apply for citizenship three years later.

The bill will also create an expedited pathway for Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders and farmworkers. It will also remove restrictions on family-based immigration, making it easier for children and spouses to join their families already in the country.

We recognize that passing this bill will be a major challenge and law makers are suggesting that a piecemeal approach might have a better chance than passing a broad one. Whatever approach Congress takes, it must ensure that it does not compromise the integrity of the initial comprehensive bill.

KRC, along with its coalition partners, community members and advocates will continue to hold our elected officials’ feet to the fire until an inclusive and decisive immigration reform that leaves no one behind is passed once and for all.

We applaud the Biden administration and the politicians who are leading the charge on the most far reaching changes in immigration law in more than three decades - knowing that our community and our country will only be better for it.