San Antonio, TX – In response to the vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on the budget reconciliation package, or the ‘Build Back Better’ plan, RAICES released the following statement from Erika Andiola, Chief Advocacy Officer regarding the package’s immigration provisions:
“The immigration provision in the Build Back Better package is a very narrow step in the right direction, but Democrats’ job is nowhere close to being done,” said Erika Andiola, Chief Advocacy Officer for RAICES. “While parole is not a pathway to citizenship, this program would undoubtedly give relief to our clients and millions of people in this country, but the fight for citizenship is not over. The bill now goes to the Senate, where we have a chance to fight for more.”
Andiola continued, “We need all hands on deck now to push Senate Democratic Leaders to do everything in their power to expand paths to citizenship in the bill by deploying every legislative option at their disposal, which should include Vice President Kamala Harris using her power to overrule the Parliamentarian if necessary.”
Andiola concluded, “We cannot let the Biden White House and Senate Democrats hide behind procedural recommendations made by unelected bureaucrats when they have the majority to deliver for our communities. We will continue to fight for citizenship for the more than 11 million undocumented people in this country and hold Democrats accountable to the promises they made to the immigrant community.”
RAICES unwaveringly believes that after decades of broken promises, undocumented immigrants deserve a path to citizenship immediately, and nothing less. The immigrant community deserves the freedom to work with dignity, respect, and freedom from detention instead of living in a state of constant fear.
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The Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency that promotes justice by providing free and low-cost legal services to underserved immigrant children, families, and refugees. Learn more at raicestexas.org.
Contact:
Jessica Ortiz
[email protected]
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