Lawmakers ask Biden to use Executive Action!
Washington, May 8 (EFE).-
Lawmakers and activists, fearful of what a second Donald Trump presidency could mean for undocumented immigrants, urged President Joe Biden on Wednesday to take executive action to protect millions of immigrants without status.
“The threat is real,” said Senator Cory Booker, a Democrat from New Jersey, at a press conference on the Capitol grounds.
“I’m proud to stand with advocates and my fellow legislators to reaffirm our commitment to protecting undocumented people, many of whom have been a part of our nation for decades,” he added.
Senator Alex Padilla, a Democrat from California, urged Biden “to take executive action to protect undocumented immigrants who have been waiting years for immigration reform in this country.”
“Despite all that immigrants bring to our economy, we have seen immigration proposals in recent months that have left these communities behind,” he added.
Padilla and Booker, along with Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, a Democrat from Nevada, Senator Ben Luján, a Democrat from New Mexico, and members of the House of Representatives, insisted that President Biden has the authority to issue measures to protect undocumented immigrants and foreigners on various types of temporary visas.
“Immigration relief would be a win-win for immigrant families and our nation. If given access to legal status and work permits, the long-residing undocumented would fill gaps in our workforce, increase productivity, and fuel economic growth,” said Janet MurguÃa, president of the UnidosUS organization.
Gustavo Torres, executive director of the CASA organization, urged the president to “use his power to act,” as former President Barack Obama (2009-2017) did when he issued the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).
“(We demand) that he uses his power to provide temporary protected status and deferred deportations for residents who have been here for a long time, people who have been here for more than 10 years,” Torres added.
Meanwhile, Senator Luján referred to the migrants as people who “have lived in the country for years, that have raised families, have studied in universities and trade schools, and have contributed to our economy.”
“Our immigration system is broken. We need to do something to fix it, but some extremist Republican colleagues are more interested in scoring political points rather than fixing a broken system,” Luján added. EFE
jab/dgp/ics
