The New Democrat Coalition made up of more than 100 Democratic legislators who are committed to pro-economic growth, pro-innovation, and fiscally responsible policies, virtually launched the New Dem Immigration Task Force on March 11.
The task force, co-chaired by U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara), is a commitment to building a fair and inclusive immigration system that reflects “American values as a nation of immigrants.”
U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton (D-Arizona) hosted the virtual press conference and stated that in Congress “we’re committed to reversing harmful immigration policies, keeping families together, and protecting America’s Dreamers and essential immigrant workers.”
“We will also work toward comprehensive immigration reform, which is critical, critical, to our nation’s economy. It’s vital to our communities and of course, it’s important to families all across the United States of America,” Stanton said.
The New Dem Immigration Task Force is just one part of the coalition’s commitment to immigration reform, the second is endorsing HR (House Resolution) 6—the American Dream and Promise Act—and HR 1537—the Farm Workforce Modernization Act.
Both bills aim to promote fairness for Dreamers, temporary protected status, and deferred enforced departure holders and create stability and economic opportunity for immigrant workers and the United States’ agricultural sector.
The Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which Carbajal helped draft, would reform the H-2A agricultural guestworker program and create a merit-based program specifically designed for the agricultural sector, the first of its kind, so workers have the opportunity to earn legal status.
“My father was a farmer, and I spent many summers working with him in the field. So I have a firsthand account of how important farmworker labor is to our nation’s agriculture, is also a huge economic driver in my district,” Carbajal said.
He said he’s spoken to growers in his district who have cited labor shortages, “that stems from our broken immigration system.”
“I think you’re going to see these two bills move swiftly, and I’m hopeful that we’re going to see bipartisan support,” Carbajal said.
The second proposed bill, the American Dream and Promise Act, would provide permanent protections to the nation’s Dreamers, as well as to the temporary protected status and deferred enforced departure holders. This would allow these individuals to contribute to their local communities and the country while providing a pathway to citizenship.
Stanton said that thousands of Dreamers were on the front lines of health care last year, protecting communities across the nation from the effects of the pandemic.
“More than 200,000 were essential workers, keeping our economy moving, and removing these workers would hurt us. It would cost the American economy $60 billion and reduce our growth by $280 billion,” he said.
A passage of the bill and a signature from President Joe Biden, Stanton said, would ensure that this doesn’t happen during this pandemic.
“Our nation gained a newfound appreciation for the immigrants who kept us safe and the American produce flowing to grocery stores and our local restaurants instead of rotting in the fields,” he said.
This article appears in Mar 18-25, 2021.