Immigrants may see light on path toward U.S. citizenship

By Elket Rodríguez

A path to citizenship for millions of immigrants living in the United States seems attainable. Their best avenue appears to be budget reconciliation—the process the U.S. Senate implements to bypass the filibuster and to fast-track consideration of the nation’s budget, according to panelists in a recent webinar. 

“Citizenship for All: Faith Voices Needed for Advocacy”, sponsored by the Interfaith Immigration Coalition, outlined how Christians can advocate to secure a pathway to citizenship for immigrants who seek to become a part of this country. 

The webinar focused on three categories of immigrants:

• Dreamers, or beneficiaries of DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. These are young people whose parents brought them to the United States as children. DACA has provided an opportunity for them to remain in the country for renewable two-year periods.

• Holders of Temporary Protected Status. They are foreign-born individuals who are unable to return safely to their home countries because of armed conflict, natural disasters, epidemics and other “extraordinary” conditions, as determined by the Department of Homeland Security.

• “Essential workers,” whose jobs are considered critical to U.S. infrastructure, according to several government agencies that regulate immigration.

“There have been instances where (budget) reconciliation has been used to address immigration issues,” said Katie Adams, a domestic policy advocate for the United Church of Christ. “There’s precedence for what we are advocating for.” 

In 2000, Congress made changes to employment visas that expanded immigration levels and demonstrated bipartisan support can be marshaled to expand immigration. 

The webinar aired as advocates for Dreamers ramped up their call for the Senate to pass legislation granting them a path to citizenship. It occurred after they met with President Biden last Friday, as well as two months after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Dream and Promised Act and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. 

“We are talking about this today and now because Congress needs to deliver big and needs to do it now,” said Giovanna Oaxaca, program director of migration policy for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. “Each day that goes without meaningful immigration reform … is an added burden to millions of immigrant essential workers and their families in the country.”

The webinar also described how faith communities can take coordinated actions to advocate for immigrants, said Rebecca Cole, director of the United Methodist Church’s Organizing General Board of Church and Society. Some of the actions faith communities can take to advocate for Dreamers, TPS holders and essential workers include:

• Praying and fasting for elected officials and the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in this country. Register to pray and fast by clicking here. 

• Signing up to a letter urging Arizona Senators to support the inclusion of a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients, TPS holders and essential workers in any upcoming recovery packages. You can read the letter here and sign on here. 

• Signing up to participate in virtual legislative meetings with elected officials, especially from Arizona. To participate, register here. 

Advocates also can contact elected representatives directly and request immigration reform that meets the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Advocacy and Action Team for Immigrant and Refugees’ Immigration Reform Principles and Values. 

CBF is an active member of the Interfaith Immigration Coalition, composed of more than 50 national faith-based organizations committed to seeking just policies that lift the God-given dignity of every individual. 

Sign up for alerts from the action team, including initiatives from the IIC, by clicking here.