For Years LUCHA & UWD Worked Behind the Scenes with Administration to Secure Major Victory for Immigrant Communities.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, June 18, 2024
PHOENIX — Today, President Biden announced a plan to use his parole authority to protect roughly a million spouses of U.S. citizens, including eligible DACA recipients, from deportation and provide them with access to work authorization and a possible path to permanent residency and citizenship. This decision results from decades of advocacy by national, state, and local organizations, which have fought to keep families and communities together and continue to advocate for permanent protections for millions of immigrants who live, work, and call the United States home. In response, leaders of leading immigrant and civil rights organizations said:
Alejandra Gomez, Executive Director of Living United for Change in Arizona, said:
“Today, President Biden took an important step forward in offering protections for hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants. These new protections will offer much-needed stability for undocumented spouses and Dreamers, allowing them to remain with their loved ones. This is a testament to years of advocacy work led by LUCHA, United We Dream, and many other organizations that pushed the administration to take executive action to protect undocumented immigrants. But we also recognize that a larger issue remains. Without comprehensive immigration reform, millions of immigrants will continue to live in a constant state of limbo and fear. Voters overwhelmingly support reform, and Latino voters in recent polls have shown their disappointment with President Biden and Democrats in Congress due to failed commitments to passing comprehensive immigration reform. We continue to urge the Biden Administration to advance legislation that provides a pathway to citizenship for the millions of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. and puts an end to harmful policies like detention and deportation.”
Greisa Martinez Rosas, Executive Director of United We Dream, said:
“For years our communities have come together to organize, strategize, and build the power needed to win protections for our loved ones. Today’s announcement is a testament to how our collective power as black, brown, queer, and undocumented people in this country has only grown despite concerted anti-immigrant attacks from Trump supporters intended to hurt us. From winning DACA 12 years ago to winning healthcare for more undocumented folks earlier this year, to now delivering even more expansive, life-changing relief for hundreds of thousands of people, none of these victories would have been possible without our movement showing up every day to fight for our lives and our rights. We recognize this moment as a victory for our movement, a step in the right direction for President Biden and a recommitment to continue to fight for the day where ALL people have the dignity and freedom to stay and freedom to thrive.”
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