The Immigration Action Team (IAT) continues meeting with offices of key members of Congress to advocate for immigration rights. This month, the team is working on arranging meetings with Sens. Pat Toomey (R-PA) and Rob Portman (R-OH). 

In November, the IAT  pushed for pathways for citizenship for Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status holders, farm workers, and other essential workers and their families.  

The Build Back Better Act passed by the House includes sizable funding for processing applications for immigration status, reducing the huge backlog of cases. The Act also provides temporary protections and work permits for millions of individuals in  these target groups, as well as improving green card processing and saving thousands of much-needed visa slots due to expire. Unfortunately, IAT’s priority — pathways to citizenship — was not included in the Act.  The team continues urging the Senate to include it  and support the other key provisions.

In November, the IAT met with staff from the offices of  Republican Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), and Bill Cassidy (Louisiana). Despite numerous attempts, the team was unable to schedule meetings with staff members from Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin (West Virginia) and Kyrsten Sinema (Arizona).

 The team also increased efforts to reach UU congregations in these states. The IAT teamed up with UUSJ’s Democracy Action Team for meetings with staff from the offices of Sens. Murkowski and Cassidy..

 In the meeting with Sen. Collins’ office staff said the senator  had met with Sen.Dick Durbin (D-IL) and other senators to explore the possibility of bipartisan immigration reform legislation. The meetings were suspended when immigration reform was included in the Build Back Better Act. If the measure fails to pass or  include immigration reform, these talks may restart. IAT urged Sens. Murkowski and Cassidy to join these talks if that occurs.

For the meeting with Sen. Cassidy’s staff, IAT  partnered with the Louisiana Organization for Refugees and Immigrants (LORI). Members of LORI  shared moving stories of their own journeys to the United States and said they — like most immigrants — are working to give something back to their adopted country. LORI members also talked about the  intersection between immigration and voting rights. An important reason they came to the U.S. was to have the right to vote.  In their home countries, opposition candidates are often prohibited from running and opposition voters may be denied the right to vote or even attacked, they said.

IAT members also met with key ally groups, particularly those led by immigrants to expand our partnerships.  The team met with  CASA Allies to hear presentations by immigrants on legislative priorities, and with the immigrant and faith groups led by the Virginia Coalition on Immigrant Rights. IAT participated in the annual Virginia Immigrant Advocates Summit, and in a series of Congressional visits and demonstrations in Washington, DC as part of the #Welcome with Dignity Week of Action.