WASHINGTON, D.C. – FWD.us is launching a new TV and digital ad campaign highlighting the urgent need to expand Parole in Place (PIP) to protect American families, including long-term undocumented individuals married to U.S. citizens. The ad features Everk Sánchez, a U.S. citizen, and Rosa Elena Sánchez, a DACA recipient and long-time resident of Arizona, whose family is among those at risk of being separated if the Biden administration does not grant urgently needed affirmative relief. The Sanchez family is a member of American Families United (AFU), a national non-profit organization that represents U.S. citizens in advancing solutions to overcome immigration issues for their spouses and children.
The 30-second and 60-second advertisements will air for two weeks to start on local television networks in the greater Washington D.C. area and for six weeks on digital platforms in key markets across the country. The ad buy is part of FWD.us’ continued 7-figure advocacy efforts to secure affirmative relief that offers protections to long-term undocumented residents of the United States. Watch the 30 second spot here.
FWD.us estimates that there are 1.1 million undocumented people in the U.S. who are spouses of American citizens, 90,000 of whom are Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients. Expanding eligibility for Parole in Place to the spouses of U.S. citizens who lack status — including couples like Everk and Rosa — could allow hundreds of thousands of these individuals who have lived in the U.S. for years to complete their immigration process and secure permanent legal status, ensuring that they can stay safe and together with their families and contribute even more significantly to the U.S. economy. Affirmative relief would also benefit up to 2.5 million U.S. citizens — including 1 million children — who currently live in mixed-status households and are at constant risk of being separated from their parents and loved ones.
Providing deportation relief and work authorization is also essential to strengthening the U.S. economy. Undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens already contribute an estimated $26 billion annually in spending power to the U.S. economy. Each year, their families contribute more than $21 billion in federal and payroll taxes and $11 billion in state and local taxes.
Read more HERE for more information and analysis from FWD.us on the growing push for President Biden to use existing authorities at his disposal to provide relief for as many as 3 million undocumented individuals without deportation protection.
Read more HERE for additional information on how the Biden administration’s related efforts to establish legal migration pathways through the CHNV parole program have been a tremendous success in reducing unauthorized migrations to the border.
