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More than 80 mayors of 28 states, including those with a high migrant population, sent a letter to the president Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to pressure Congress for an immigration reform that opens the way to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants .
“We, the undersigned mayors, respectfully ask you to prioritize the inclusion of a path to citizenship,” begins the letter signed by 84 rulers.
Mayors ask for prioritize naturalization for ‘dreamers’, holders of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), essential workers and their families in which any economic legislation and, if necessary, through the Reconciliation process.
“We want to make sure not to leave the 2021 without passing this critical legislation, ”said Sergio Gonzales, executive director of Immigration Hub, in a conference call, where he noted that Texas Judge Andrew Hanen’s decision against DACA makes the protection of these and other immigrants more urgent.
Between the signers are Robert Garcia, of Long Beach; Eric Garcetti, from Los Angeles; Todd Gloria, from San Diego, Libby Schaaf, from Oakland, all California cities; Regina Romero, from Tucson, Arizona, and Paige Cognetti, from Scranton, Pennsylvania.
“Arizona passed a of the worst immigration laws in 2010 ”, recalled Romero. “It is (a matter) personal for me to take a position on immigration, my parents are immigrants; I am the first generation of my family with a US citizen. ”
The letter was also signed by Michael B. Hancock , of Denver, Colorado; Daniella Levine Cava, from Miami-Dade, Florida; Lori E. Lightfoot , of Chicago, Illinois; Steven M. Fulop , of Jersey City, NJ; Bill de Blasio, from New York City; Eric Johnson, from Dallas, and Sylvester Turner, from Houston, both cities in Texas.
“We all believed in the need to deliver this right to citizenship, as a nation, before the COVID pandemic – 19, but now it is much clearer that we must do this for our country and their families ”, considered Cognetti.
The urgency of the mayors contemplates at least five million undocumented who work in construction, agriculture, services and production of food, transportation, healthcare and other industries that have been essential during the COVID pandemic – 19, they point out.
“(They) have risked their lives and the lives of their families to support our n ation in operation during one of the most challenging periods ”, they highlighted.
Like Democratic lawmakers pushing economic arguments, mayors viewed minimal immigration reform as a way to “lay the groundwork for an equitable economic recovery for all communities across the country.”
“Providing a path to citizenship for these people and their families not only recognizes the sacrifices they have made for all Americans,” they say. “The important role they continue to play in the US economic recovery and long-term global competitiveness would also (be recognized).”
President Biden announced on Sunday that he is “by see ”if the congressional parliamentarian allows the integration of immigration reform in the budget package .