WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate today released a budget resolution with key immigration provisions that will boost economic growth, create jobs, raise wages for all Americans, and keep families safe and together in the United States. FWD.us President Todd Schulte issued the following statement:

“We are pleased to see meaningful efforts to fix our long-failed immigration system including a pathway to citizenship which has been included in the Senate budget resolution package and has received support from the White House. As bipartisan talks continue, we are encouraged by this dual-track effort to ensure that legalization providing an urgently-needed pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, TPS holders, farmworkers, and other essential workers passes as soon as possible. This is vital to our response and recovery from COVID-19 and to the long term success of our families, communities, and economy.

“Provisions like a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers are overwhelmingly popular with a super-majority of Americans, including even a majority of Republican voters. The American public has made up its mind and strongly supports getting this done.

“Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, millions of undocumented immigrants have served as essential workers, risking their lives and those of their loved ones to promote the health, safety, and prosperity of all Americans. Allowing hardworking immigrants the ability to earn a pathway to citizenship is not only smart policy that will help our families and communities recover from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but it is good politics. An overwhelming bipartisan majority of voters – including Republicans – want Congress to fix our broken immigration system. Americans expect lawmakers to deliver on promises and pass a pathway to citizenship to ensure vital members of our communities and economy are able to fully contribute to the response and recovery from COVID-19.

“We expect all Members of Congress to use every ounce of their power and leverage all avenues available to pass meaningful reforms this year, including Democrats through reconciliation. This is permissible, it is urgent and it is the right thing to do. Lawmakers must act with urgency to protect immigrant families and strengthen our economy, and finally send this resolution to President Biden’s desk for signature.”