Skip to main content

U.S. House Passes Immigration Legislation

March 23, 2021

These Critically Needed Bills Would Provide Protections for Millions of Immigrants Who Have Spent Much of Their Lives in the United States

Washington, D.C. – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed two bills that would provide protections for millions of immigrants who have spent much of their lives in the United States. Rep. Kathy Manning (NC-06), who worked as an immigration attorney prior to being elected to Congress, released the following statement in support of The American Dream and Promise Act and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act.

“The American Dream and Promise Act and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act create a pathway to citizenship for millions of immigrants who already call the United States home. The last time our nation reformed our immigration system was 1986 – the world has changed significantly since then. These bills make essential updates to our immigration system to better reflect our values and to meet the demands of our workforce.”

The American Dream and Promise Act would create a pathway to citizenship for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA), Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) immigrants. The bill includes stringent bars to eligibility related to criminal activity and national security. It is supported by numerous organizations, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, AFL-CIO, SEIU, ACLU, United We Dream, UnidosUS, Apple, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), United Farm Workers, America’s Voice, Fwd.US, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Immigration Hub, National Immigration Law Center, National Immigration Forum, TPS Alliance, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, Lutheran Immigration Refugee Service, UndocuBlack Network, Bipartisan Policy Center Action, Center for American Progress, American Federation of Teachers, National Association of Social Workers, First Focus Campaign for Children, Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), National Council of Jewish Women Service, Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA), and Employees International Union.Read more here.

The Farm Workforce Modernization Act takes a balanced approach to preserving the current farm workforce and ensuring a future workforce through reforms to the H-2A temporary visa program. This Act is particularly important at a time when we must acknowledge the critical work our farm workers have done during this pandemic to make sure our food supplies continued and Americans across the country had access to food. Read more here.

###