UnidosUS President & CEO: Undocumented immigrants deserve a permanent solution

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WASHINGTON, DC— In response to the U.S. House of Representatives passing the Dream & Promise Act and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, Janet Murguía, president and CEO of UnidosUS, the nation’s largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization, issued the following statement:

“We applaud the House passage of the Dream & Promise Act and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which would both provide a path to citizenship for essential workers and young people who know no other country. These pieces of legislation are not only necessary but also extremely popular. Americans overwhelmingly support relief for DACA recipients, TPS holders, and other undocumented immigrants.

“Today’s passage of the Dream & Promise Act confirms what we knew all along: DREAMers, farmworkers, and TPS holders are vital to our country. They are essential not only to our economy but also as valuable members of our families and communities.

“Farmworkers who have kept American families fed during the pandemic deserve the protections provided to them in the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. They are the epitome of essential and have been long before the arrival of COVID-19. If this bill becomes law, these farmworkers can work without the lingering fear of deportation or without their children having to worry whether their parents will come home from work each night. This legislation would also create stability for our economy when it needs it most, as employers would have an established workforce to rely on. In addition to giving immigrant farmworkers the ability to apply for citizenship, this bill takes important measures to give them fair housing protections, transparency in their recruitment, as well as anti-discrimination provisions that protect their civil rights.

“Both the Dream & Promise Act and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act are two steps towards the goal of a path to legality for all 11 million undocumented immigrants. We applaud the House in its passage of these bills, and we urge the Senate to pass these bills as soon as possible.”