ICYMI: Warren, Padilla, Castro Reintroduce Bill to Create a Pathway to Citizenship for Essential Workers During COVID-19 Pandemic
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif) and U.S. Representative Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) reintroduced the Citizenship for Essential Workers Act, a bill that would create an expedited pathway to citizenship for the over 5 million undocumented essential workers who kept Americans healthy, fed, and safe during the pandemic. The legislation would provide undocumented essential workers with a fast, accessible, and secure path to citizenship, beginning with immediate adjustment of status to legal permanent resident. Approximately three out of four undocumented workers in the United States are working in jobs that have been designated essential during the pandemic.
“Essential workers have been critical to helping our country get through the darkest days of the pandemic and risked their lives to help keep our country running – yet about 5 million of them still live in fear of deportation,” said Senator Warren. “The Citizenship for Essential Workers Act recognizes all that essential workers have given and will create a fair and accessible pathway to citizenship.”
“Every day, over five million essential workers without permanent legal status kept Americans healthy, fed, and safe during the COVID pandemic—all while risking their own health and the health of their families,” said Senator Padilla. “As the federal COVID-19 public health emergency comes to an end next month, this country continues to grapple with the long-term effects of the pandemic and we can’t forget the sacrifices these workers made—and still make every single day—for our country. Our essential workers have more than earned their place in this country and it’s time to create a fast, accessible, and secure path to citizenship for frontline workers.”
“During the worst days of the pandemic, millions of undocumented immigrants risked their lives to keep hospitals clean, shelves stocked, and small businesses afloat. As Americans continue to mourn our friends, neighbors, and loved ones who lost their lives to COVID-19, we owe an enormous debt of gratitude to those who kept our country going,” said Congressman Castro. “We cannot allow yesterday’s heroes to face deportation tomorrow. I’m proud to join Senator Padilla, Senator Warren, and Congressman Lieu to introduce the Citizenship for Essential Workers Act, which will give the heroes of the pandemic the path to citizenship they have earned.”
“Three years ago a world pandemic upended our lives and forced millions inside our homes. But not all of us had the same options. Countless immigrant essential workers kept our nation's economic motors running despite personal cost to their health and their families’ wellbeing. Senator Padilla’s legislation is a recognition of their sacrifice during this turbulent period in our recent history. But let us remember that it has been 40 years since Congress has passed any meaningful immigration reform and it is time they take action. We will work with Senator Padilla and others who never wavered in our request for permanent residency. Immigrants on the ground have always said they want a path to citizenship that begins with permanent residency and that is exactly what we continue to ask congress to do,” said Angelica Salas, CHIRLA Executive Director.
“If you feed America, you deserve the right to stay in America,” said UFW President Teresa Romero. “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, immigrant farm workers put themselves and their families at risk to keep America fed. They went to work in the fields, farms, dairies, canneries, and orchards of America while others got to stay safe at home. Many got sick. Some died. You can’t pick a tomato over Zoom. A pathway to citizenship is the bare minimum that our country owes to the immigrant essential workers who keep it fed every day. The United Farm Workers proudly support this legislation to do right by America’s essential workers and immigrant heroes.”
Senator Warren has long fought for comprehensive immigration reform and an accessible, inclusive pathway to citizenship:
- In September 2022, Senator Warren joined Senator Padilla to introduce legislation to expand a pathway to permanency for millions of long-term U.S. residents. The Renewing Immigration Provisions of the Immigration Act of 1929 would update the existing registry statute so that an immigrant may qualify for lawful permanent resident status if they have lived in the United States continuously for at least seven years before filing an application for lawful permanent resident status and are of good moral character.
- In April 2021, Senators Warren and Padilla, along with Representatives Castro and Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), introduced the Citizenship for Essential Workers Act, which would provide a fair, secure, and accessible pathway to U.S. citizenship for over 5 million immigrant essential workers.
- The lawmakers later led a bicameral letter to President Biden urging the inclusion of the Citizenship for Essential Workers Act in the President’s infrastructure package.
- The lawmakers also wrote a joint op-ed urging the necessity of a pathway to citizenship for essential workers.
- In February 2021, Senators Warren and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Representative Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.) to introduce the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, President Biden’s bold, inclusive, and humane framework for the future of the United States immigration system.
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