As you might have heard, the Senate bipartisan commission released its immigration reform bill earlier today. SEIU members and immigration reform allies are committed to making sure that the final bill not only focuses on border security and immigration enforcement, but provides a clear path to citizenship for eleven million aspiring Americans.
As our International President Mary Kay Henry just said: “Today’s announcement creates real hope for the vast majority of Americans who think it is time for commonsense immigration reform and for the millions of hardworking families who live every day in fear of being torn apart at any moment. While this bill represents an initial compromise, we are encouraged by this progress and look forward to working with the Senate, the House and the President to making improvements to it on its way to becoming law.”
The fight for an immigration system that works is far from over. We must encourage Congress to strengthen the bill, and we can’t allow immigration opponents to prevent the proposal from becoming law. We want to make sure the path to initial legal status is wide and inclusive, and we want to make sure unreasonable barriers do not thwart citizenship for the 11 million.
Today, on the day that the bill was introduced and while it is on the spotlight, there are three things you can do to make sure that commonsense reform becomes a reality:
1. Call Congress at 877-848-8289 and tell them that you support a clear pathway to citizenship and protecting working families across America.
2. Join a community Call with Senator Robert Menendez (one of the architects of the bill) and Eliseo Medina to learn more about the proposal and find out what actions you can take to fight for the best bill possible.
3. Help us advocate for a sensible and fair immigration bill as we work with members of Congress and the legislative process unfolds. Make sure you’re signed up with SEIU.org to take action on immigration.
Commonsense immigration reform is the right thing to do for America, our economy, our communities, and for workers. Let’s get it done now.