Activists pressure Biden to keep his promises

The new administration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris has a moral commitment to the Latino community that helped them win the White House and defeat Donald Trump; for this reason they have to respond with facts to the promise to comply with an immigration reform that they have waited for more than three decades, said activists defending the rights of immigrants

“ The idea of ​​a dream or illusion of an immigration reform has to materialize because they promised in exchange for our vote,” said Juan José Gutiérrez , executive director of One Stop Immigration of Los Angeles, during a demonstration in front of the federal building of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

“We gave them the vote massively and they must comply with us; We are no longer willing to let them want to give us atole with their finger, “he added. “In politics there can be no false illusions; Our expectation is that immigration reform will be the product of the massive vote of Latinos in favor of Biden and Harris, and of the permanent campaign of support for the Democrats to win the next administration and defeat Donald Trump. ”

A few days after Biden was sworn in as the number one president 46, pressure from the pro-immigrant groups increased. They require you to maintain your position to prohibit deportations in the first 100 days of your mandate.

Activists are not only eager to see Biden dismantle the Trump administration’s tough immigration agenda, but hold him accountable better than the infamous “deporter-in-chief” Barack Obama, whose former vice president was among 2009 and 2017. Obama, despite having Democratic control of the Lower House and Senate – as now also – did not get the immigration reform promised for 11 Millions of undocumented immigrants.

“Biden was the best option we had to choose, and we want him to go down in history as the president who achieved the immigration reform we have waited for for more than 30 years, ”said Juan Venancio, a member of the Puebla Club Federation. “But, if necessary, we will take to the streets every day to ask you to keep your word.”

Grouped under the Coalition Full Rights for Immigrants, the activists indicated that they have the intention to reverse “the climate of xenophobia” created in the last four years by Trump.

“The immigration reform proposal must be submitted in the first week of government and must be comprehensive, including 11 millions of souls who live in the shadows, “said Salvador Sanabria, executive director of El Rescate. “This universe must include DACA youth, thousands of TPS people, and provide a humane solution for those trapped on the US-Mexico border and seeking asylum.”

Sanabria argued that it will be of vital importance to know the cut-off date in the immigration reform, either the 31 of December 2020 or January 1, 2019 for the purposes of any immigration procedure.

The last time that an immigration reform was seriously considered occurred in 2013 with the proposal of the late senators, Edward Kennedy and John McCain, and retired Congressmen Jeff Flake, from Arizona and Luis Gutiérrez, from Illinois.

“The immigrant community doesn’t need another deporter-in-chief or a lying boss ”Stated Dr. John Fernández, a member of the Coalition of Full Rights for Immigrants. “We urge President-elect Joe Biden to fulfill his promise to enact immigration reform with a path to citizenship during the first 100 days of his administration. ”

Even when they have fought to push for reforms, the Democrats in Congress have always feared an electoral reaction when the Republicans accuse them of wanting to legislate with the idea of“ open borders ”Or“ amnesty ”for the undocumented, something that many immigrant advocates are no longer willing to tolerate.

“ We want comprehensive, just and generous reform; We have waited for her for 30 years, ”said Aniceto Polanco, an activist born in Guerrero, Mexico. “We have survived Trump’s racist attacks, and fortunately he is already leaving.”

“Trump has done a lot of damage with his hatred and violence,” he added. “I think it is enough that immigrants always use us as cannon fodder in their political campaigns; we need this reform to be free…, it’s sad that our parents died and we couldn’t even say goodbye to them or go to their funeral. ”

Vice President Kamala Harris announced this week that there would be green cards for the 660, 000 beneficiaries of the DACA program, in addition to shorter waits for them to obtain citizenship.

The Biden administration has also promised to focus on reducing wait times to obtain citizenship, granting automatic green cards to beneficiaries of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and adding immigration judges. to reduce delays in court hearings.

“A reform is urgently needed to speed up pending cases,” said Gleydy Colmenares, director of the organization SALVA del Valle del Antelope. “Hopefully this year we achieve victory”