ATLANTA, GA — Today, U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) visited the Latin American Association to meet with several local immigrant leaders, including FWD.us, to discuss his ongoing priorities in Washington and provide an update on immigration reform in Congress to help foster a stronger economic recovery.

Senator Warnock briefed the group on his current priorities in Washington, including an update on immigration reform. Recent actions taken by the U.S. House of Representatives to include a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, TPS holders, farmworkers, and other essential workers in the budget reconciliation framework passed the House last week, marking an important step to modernize the nation’s immigration system to keep families together while strengthening opportunities for a robust economic recovery, especially after the effects of COVID-19. The Senator reassured his commitment to reforming our broken immigration and vowed to work hard with colleagues in Washington to provide undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship.

FWD.us Georgia Immigration Manager Jaime Rangel said, “I am extremely grateful for this opportunity to sit down with Senator Warnock alongside dedicated immigrant community leaders to discuss his work in Congress to support immigration reform. Today, pro-immigrant policies like DACA have provided opportunities for myself and 20,000 other undocumented youth in Georgia to legally work and go to school in the state we call home. However, DACA is only temporary and doesn’t extend to all 70,000 Dreamers in Georgia, including 25,000 undocumented K-12 students. Further, undocumented immigrants across the state have time and again proven they are dedicated to making our communities, workforce, and economy more successful, even contributing as essential workers throughout the pandemic. At the end of the day, immigrants of all backgrounds and statuses are essential workers, job creators, innovators, and seekers of the American dream. I look forward to continuing to work with Senator Warnock to ensure critical reforms, including a pathway to citizenship, make it across the finish line.”

The Peach State will make significant economic gains if Congress includes a pathway to earned legal status for Dreamers, TPS holders, farmworkers, and essential workers in the final reconciliation bill, with an estimated $4 billion dollar increase to the economy.