UnidosUS, America’s Voice, Hispanic Federation and Mi Familia en Acción Unveil Immigration Framework, Call on Congress to End President’s Mass Deportation Policies
The four-pillar plan calls for earned pathways to citizenship, modernized legal channels, proportional enforcement and functional and fair border processing.
WASHINGTON — Today, UnidosUS, the nation’s largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization, along with America’s Voice, Hispanic Federation and Mi Familia en Acción, released a new immigration framework calling on Congress to act immediately to enact new laws that would end mass deportation policies established by executive action and replace them with a fair and functioning immigration system. The organizations are urging Congress to reclaim its role in setting immigration policy rather than leaving it to executive orders.
The release comes as UnidosUS polling shows Latino voters are increasingly worried about the toll unregulated executive action is taking. Sweeping enforcement that targets millions of people without criminal histories for removal diverts attention and resources from genuine public safety threats, separates families, destabilizes local economies, erodes trust in law enforcement and leaves entire communities — including millions of U.S. citizens — living in fear.
“Fair Laws, Effective Enforcement, Stronger Communities: A Balanced Vision for Immigration Reform” lays out four pillars for legislation covering citizenship, legal immigration, enforcement and border processing. This framework calls for Congress to act and end nearly two decades of immigration policy being set almost entirely by executive order. The American Immigration Council estimates that a one-time operation to deport 13.3 million people would cost $315 billion, and a sustained campaign removing one million people annually would cost taxpayers $88 billion a year, nearly $1 trillion over a decade. The math is simple: this agenda doesn’t just harm Latino communities, it hurts all of us.
“Our new UnidosUS Immigration Framework shows a way forward on this complex issue. The Latino community’s message to Congress is clear: our leaders can no longer punt on immigration,” said Janet Murguía, UnidosUS president and CEO. “Right now, Republicans are providing unlimited resources with no oversight to a mass deportation campaign which has led to chaos, and even the loss of life, plus grave harm to many communities and our economy. Yet the warning to Democrats is that they too are failing to meet the moment. Fear of this issue among too many has held the party back from advancing an alternative, affirmative vision of what our immigration policy could be. For us, that is the belief that we can have an immigration policy that is fair, humane and effective that works in the best interest of this country and the economy but also does not undermine our constitutional rights, our economic future and our values as a nation.”
“The decades-long inaction by Congress to reform our immigration system, coupled with a hateful anti-immigration agenda, has resulted in a dystopian and cruel nightmare against immigrant communities and their families,” said Vanessa Cárdenas, Executive Director of America’s Voice. “It is imperative to change course and reject the notion that the only way to manage immigration is through violent enforcement-only tactics that betray our values and hurt our national and economic interests. We welcome UnidosUS’s new framework which brings solutions to the table consistent with what most Americans want: a balanced approach that is fair and orderly. This framework addresses the need for border security and targeted enforcement while providing a path to citizenship for long established immigrants. Congress must act, once and for all, and deliver policies that uphold our values and interests as a nation.”
“For too long, political gridlock and shifting executive actions have trapped immigrant families and Latino communities in a broken immigration system. Congress must act now to deliver lasting solutions that give families stability, strengthen our economy, uphold due process and keep communities safe,” said Hector Sánchez Barba, President and CEO of Mi Familia en Acción. “This framework proves we can have an orderly, fair and humane immigration system. We can create earned pathways to citizenship, modernize legal immigration, ensure targeted and accountable enforcement, and build an effective border process. Congress must legislate now and give our communities and country the certainty they deserve.”
“This framework outlines a vision on pathways to citizenship, legal immigration channels, border security and interior enforcement on equal footing, because none of them works in isolation,” said UnidosUS Senior Advisor for Immigration Policy and Strategy Deborah Fleischaker. ” Americans want an immigration system that works. They want secure borders and laws that are enforced. They want enforcement focused on genuine threats rather than indiscriminate mass deportation. They want legal immigration that serves families and the economy, preserves family unity and provides a lawful path forward for longtime residents who have built their lives here. These priorities are not contradictory and are, in fact, the foundation of a better immigration system.”
The framework’s four pillars are:
- Earned pathways to citizenship for long-term residents, including Dreamers, with eligibility standards set by Congress: background checks, tax compliance and time in the country.
- Modernized legal immigration channels that clear decades-long family visa backlogs and expand worker visas to match labor shortages in agriculture, healthcare and construction.
- Interior enforcement that is targeted, proportional and accountable, including an end to family detention, uniform national detention standards and immigration courts insulated from political influence.
- Border security and asylum processing that is effective, fair and humane, with the staffing and technology to decide asylum claims quickly, and strict limits on third-country removals.
UnidosUS’s recent poll, which was released in May 2026, found real, present-day consequences of governing immigration by executive order rather than law: 44% of Latino voters say they or people in their communities fear immigration authorities will harass or arrest them even if they are U.S. citizens or legal residents, and nearly 29% say children are missing school because parents are afraid of being arrested during drop-off or pick-up. Seven in 10 Latino voters oppose additional funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) without accompanying protections, and majorities — including a majority of Republicans — support legalization for long-residing undocumented immigrants, even when the program is described as “amnesty.”
With midterm elections approaching, UnidosUS, Ameria’s Voice, Hispanic Federation and Mi Familia en Acción are releasing this framework now to give lawmakers on both sides of the aisle a concrete, workable starting point on immigration legislation. The organization is calling on members of Congress to introduce and advance legislation built on these four pillars. UnidosUS’s goal is straightforward: replace two decades of executive-order whiplash with a durable, bipartisan law that Latino families and the industries that depend on immigrant workers can actually plan around.
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About UnidosUS
UnidosUS is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that serves as the nation’s largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization. Since 1968, we have built a stronger America by creating opportunities for Latinos and breaking down barriers to expand economic and social progress for all. UnidosUS partners with an Affiliate Network of nearly 300 community-based organizations across the United States and Puerto Rico. For more information on UnidosUS, visit www.unidosus.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and Threads.
About Mi Familia en Acción
Mi Familia en Acción is a non-partisan civic engagement organization dedicated to empowering the Latino community and ensuring our voices are heard at every level of government. We believe our democracy is strongest when every eligible voter participates. We mobilize Latino power and build unity through year-round activation of the electorate to shape and advance policies that promote the health, safety, and prosperity of Latino communities.
About America’s Voice
The mission of America’s Voice is to create the momentum necessary to advance policy changes that ensure belonging and opportunity for immigrants in America. We build political will for immigration reforms that reflect our values as a nation and believe lasting policy change happens when the public is informed, mobilized and ready to act. Follow Vanessa Cárdenas on BlueSky: vcardenas.bsky.social and Twitter: @VCardenasDC and America’s Voice on BlueSky: americasvoice.bsky.social and Instagram: @americasvoice
About Hispanic Federation
Hispanic Federation (HF) is a nonprofit membership and advocacy organization, founded in 1990, committed to empowering and advancing the Hispanic community, with a focus on low-income, marginalized, and immigrant Latine. With programs in 43 states and territories, HF’s focus areas include immigration, economic empowerment, civic engagement, disaster relief, philanthropy, education, health, and the environment. HF also maintains ongoing public education campaigns and meets the organizational development needs of its member agencies through grant-making and capacity-building assistance.