Rep. Vargas, Colleagues Call for Executive Action to Protect American Families
WASHINGTON - U.S. Representative Juan Vargas (CA-52) joined 82 of his colleagues in calling on President Biden to protect long-term undocumented immigrants in the United States by streamlining pathways to lawful status for undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens, family caregivers, and other long-term residents.
“We urge your Administration to take all available actions to streamline pathways to lawful status for undocumented immigrants, providing certainty to the American businesses, communities, and families who rely on them,” wrote the lawmakers. “In 2019 alone, undocumented immigrants contributed an estimated $9.7 billion in federal and state taxes and over $11 billion in social security contributions. Over 1.1 million U.S. citizens are married to an undocumented immigrant, and roughly 4.9 million U.S. citizen children have at least one undocumented parent.”
The lawmakers continued, “Deporting all such individuals—as former President Donald Trump has threatened to do if reelected —would devastate the American economy and destroy American families. Alternatively, streamlining pathways for undocumented immigrants with no criminal history and deep ties to the United States to obtain parole or a lawful immigration status would provide stability to their families, require them to pay taxes, and to check in with the U.S. government regularly.”
The full text of the letter is available HERE.
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