What Immigrant Rights Advocates Are Saying About Biden's Historic Announcement

On Tuesday afternoon, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden held an event at the White House to celebrate the 12th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy and announce plans to provide immigration relief to an estimated 500,000 undocumented spouses of American citizens in addition to easing the work visa process for DACA recipients and other eligible college graduates. (Click here for the full White House fact sheet.)

Earlier today, The Latino Newsletter asked immigrant rights organizations and allies to share any public statements about the announcement, a topic our founder also wrote about today for MSNBC. We are publishing all the statements we received.

Greisa Martinez Rosas, Executive Director, United We Dream

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.

Alejandra Gomez, Executive Director, Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA)

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.”

Janet Murguía, President and CEO, UnidosUS

The announcement by President Biden is a godsend for 500,000 American families and will provide a considerable boost to the U.S. economy and to community stability across the country. This commonsense policy will allow spouses and children with deep family and economic roots in the U.S. to finally access the work and family visas for which they qualify and give families the much-needed stability they need to prosper. This action will also prevent the senseless deportations of productive members of our communities, keep American families together, and enable them to contribute fully to strengthening our economy.

The spouses in these families have resided in the U.S. for an average of 23 years, which means that they have long-standing roots in our economy and our country. Relief for the long-residing undocumented population is the top immigration priority for Latino voters, as confirmed by the last UnidosUS poll, among others.

In addition, potentially tens of thousands of DACA recipients will be eligible for work visas, allowing them to leverage their college degrees under current immigration rules. This policy builds on the notable success of the now 12-year-old DACA program and could give some DACA recipients much-needed permanent status.

The announcement removes current barriers faced by both groups to access green cards and eventual citizenship. With more than 11 million mixed-status families across the United States, this is an issue which touches nearly every state and community in the country.

We applaud President Biden and the Biden-Harris administration for doing what Congress has been unable or unwilling to do: act to provide common sense and compassionate immigration relief. We will continue to work to ensure that this short-term policy becomes permanent through legislative action.

Latino Community Foundation

Maria Teresa Kumar, Co-Founder and President, Voto Latino

Undocumented immigrants make crucial social, political, and economic contributions to our nation. In 2019 alone, undocumented immigrants contributed an estimated $9.7 billion in federal and state taxes and over $11 billion in social security contributions. By taking steps to streamline pathways to lawful status for these hard-working people, President Biden is delivering for our communities and providing stability for these families and for American businesses. But the job is not done.

For two decades, Voto Latino has been a leading voice for comprehensive immigration reform. We have fought relentlessly to expand pathways to citizenship for teachers, farmers, and caretakers who are undocumented people and have lived in America for years. And we asked the Biden-Harris administration to include a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and other long-standing undocumented residents.

Voto Latino endorsed the Biden-Harris ticket for its significant accomplishments for the Latino community and because we expect the Administration to finish its work on issues that are important to Latino voters. On the one hand, we have an extreme former president who caused havoc, anxiety, and anguish in our communities in every corner of our nation. Trump promises to double down on his cruelty if elected again in November. He promises to go beyond Steven Miller’s family-separation policy by deploying our military to round-up undocumented-looking Americans. He also promises a cottage industry of detention centers across the nation where no one is safe—U.S. citizen or not. The sheer contrast of these policies to President Biden’s leadership and commitment to a thriving America can’t be understated. An American child sleeps free of anxiety tonight knowing that his mother is now protected because President Biden led and did not cower.

Election decency is on the ballot. Today’s announcement has been a decade in the making and the result of Latinos showing up at the polls. But our work is not done. While this is a step in the right direction, there is much more that needs to be done. The alternative is devastation to our families. Voto Latino will continue registering, mobilizing, and informing Latino voters to empower our community and create a more robust and inclusive democracy and economy.”

Vanessa Cárdenas, Executive Director, America’s Voice

Today's decisive action by President Biden is a victory for American families, our economy, and our country. This would not have been possible without the tireless organizing and advocacy of immigrant communities and impacted individuals. Hundreds of thousands of husbands, wives, and children can breathe a sigh of relief, knowing they are one step closer to becoming citizens of the country they have long called home. We commend President Biden for taking this much-needed step to ensure that American families stay together.

These common-sense policies, broadly supported by the American public, also clarify the stakes and contrasts during this election: expanding opportunities and protections for long-settled immigrants and American families versus separating families, mass roundups, and unsparing deportations. While the President is working within the law to keep families together, protect DACA recipients, and allow long-settled immigrants to stay, opponents of immigration are plotting to deport these same people on Day 1 of a new Republican administration.

Melissa Morales, President and Founder, Somos Votantes

Today represents what is potentially the largest breakthrough on immigration since DACA, as President Biden takes action to provide much-needed relief to hardworking immigrants who have fueled our country’s economic comeback. We want to thank President Biden and his administration for supporting a fair and balanced approach to enacting common-sense solutions to the challenges in our immigration system while keeping families together.

While there is more work to be done on this issue, President Biden and Democrats remain focused on growing the economy by providing working people, including hardworking immigrants, with the tools and opportunities we need to build a good life. And we are focused on ensuring our Latino community not only learns about this breakthrough, but also understands the importance of continuing to elect leaders who look out for people like us.

As we move forward, we encourage President Biden and Democrats to celebrate, champion, and build on this major accomplishment by continuing to push for even more opportunities for legal pathways for hardworking immigrants. President Biden’s demonstrated commitment to leading with both empathy and solutions provides an opportunity to further engage, energize, and excite the voters who can make or break their margin of victory, Latino voters.

American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC) and American Families United (AFU)

“President Biden’s action to extend work permits for long-term immigrant spouses is morally right, economically sound and politically smart,” said Rebecca Shi, executive director of the American Business Immigration Coalition, representing 1400+ CEOs and employers across the country. “We thank him for taking this important step to support American families, protecting their love and ability to live together. The overwhelming majority of Americans support these humane and common-sense steps, and it will directly improve the lives of more than 10 million American citizens who have an undocumented family member. Today, those families, and the advocates fighting on their behalf, can breathe a huge sigh of relief.”

“The anxiety and heartbreak of being separated from your spouse, or worried that your loved one will get deported at any moment, serves as a stark reminder that immigration reform is sorely needed in this country,” said Ashley DeAzevedo, president of American Families United, representing 1.1 million U.S. citizens married to undocumented spouses. “Today, President Biden took a historic step forward, delivering a down payment on his commitment to our families. By granting work permits to long-term immigrant spouses, our families will be able to live and work safely and with security. There is more work to do, but today, President Biden, we cannot thank you enough.” 

Analilia Mejia and DaMareo Cooper, Executive Directors, Center for Popular Democracy

Today’s announcement is an important step forward for hundreds of thousands of undocumented spouses, who will now have the opportunity to live without fear in the place where they have built families, built homes. This win is emblematic of decades of work immigrant communities have been doing to create a more dignified system.

President Biden has finally chosen to listen to advocates who have relentlessly pushed for action from his administration. We’re ready to continue the work alongside his administration to fix our broken immigration system and provide a pathway to citizenship for all.

Frankie Miranda, President and CEO, Hispanic Federation

Today’s executive actions by President Biden are exactly the type of policies that our country needs to address our broken immigration system that is keeping families apart. I know firsthand the pain of having to wait 10 years to be reunited with your life partner due to a broken immigration system. No loving couple deserves to live in fear of separation or experience the heartache of living apart just because Congress continues to play political football with the lives of hard-working people who would greatly benefit from the passage of humane immigration policies.

While there is still much work to be done, today’s action will bring safety and peace of mind from deportation to mixed-status hardworking families and provide economic security to our workforce. We applaud President Biden for his actions to keep families together and urge his Administration to continue taking strong, humane, and necessary actions to protect the vital members of our communities across the country. HF will continue working with our community partners to ensure that our communities know how to apply for relief under this order and have access to culturally competent service providers to help them through this process. 

We will also continue advocating for Congress to pass legislation that keeps our families together, modernizes our immigration system, and provides opportunities for everyone.

Domingo Garcia, President, LULAC

Today LULAC is proud to stand with 528,000 Dreamers and close to 500,000 spouses of U.S. Citizens who will have access to updates and adjustments to their legal statuses. We applaud the Biden Administration for offering a pathway to legality for many families that have been separated and torn due to the lack of immigration reform.

Today marks the 12th anniversary of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). These two executive orders are the largest immigration reform policies we have had since DACA.

Throughout my leadership at LULAC, I have spoken to, advocated for, and stood beside many Dreamers who came with their families to the U.S. as children. Many of these Dreamers are now adults who have been educated in our universities, formed families, and live in America. They are American. I am hopeful today because they will be able to continue to attain the American dream by having working visas that allow them to continue their contributions to our country.

Americans have always taken pride in our history as a Nation of immigrants. If you came to our shores three generations ago, or yesterday, America has always been a nation that welcomes those seeking protection. We are all connected to immigrants, whether they clean our homes, stock our groceries, take care of our children, or have become educated and are now lawyers, doctors, teachers, nurses, elected officials —whatever the role— immigrants are the backbone of America.

LULAC continues our steadfast commitment to advocating for even larger reforms and updates to the U.S. immigration system. We believe in humane and orderly processes that connect immigrants to opportunities for safety and freedom on our shores. Our Latino immigrant workforce is indispensable, contributing not only to the physical infrastructure of our Nation but also to its social, economic, and cultural richness. LULAC will always be a beacon of hope and advocacy for the marginalized. We stand with President Biden on this decision and applaud the efforts taken today.

What We’re Reading Today

The Left Hook: The Latino Newsletter’s founder Julio Ricardo Varela was the debut guest of Wajahat Ali’s new Chai Talk show.