NDN Applauds Progress on Immigration Reform

I released this statement earlier this afternoon...

"There should be little doubt that fixing our broken immigration system is one our nation’s highest priorities. NDN has supported a comprehensive approach to fix our immigration system, one that does three things – cracks down on the border and in the workplace, better regulates the flow of future workers to lessen the need for undocumented workers, and offers millions of undocumented immigrants already here a chance to legalize their work status and eventually become American citizens. It has been our belief that the only way to fix our immigration system was to take this comprehensive approach and do all three things together. Anything less would not work.

The deal announced today by Senators of both parties takes this same comprehensive approach, and thus we believe is an important step in the right direction. We are clearly closer today towards coming up with a good bi-partisan solution to the immigration challenge that will serve the interests of the nation.

We were especially pleased to see so many Republicans at this afternoon’s press conference, as it has been their party that has so aggressively stood in the way of progress to this point.

Like many, we found parts of the deal to be troubling. We are particularly concerned about the approach to temporary workers, the retreat from the family-first immigration approach that has guided American immigration policy for almost a century, and the requirement for heads of households to return to their own countries to initiate portions of the citizenship process.

We eagerly anticipate the debate in the Senate next week, and plan to be very active to help make sure we get a good and strong bill to the President this year."

For more information on NDN's work to pass comprehensive immigration reform, visit http://www.ndn.org/advocacy/immigration/.