Immigration Bill Introduced in Congress

Celebrating NAHREP familia, cultura, politics, and grassroots action

January 28, 2021

Qué onda mi gente?!

Let’s talk about immigration today. I am declaring it into the universe:

We will pass comprehensive immigration reform by the end of the year.

Who is with me here?

I’ve had a front row seat to two previous attempts at passing an immigration reform bill in Washington D.C. The reason these bills haven’t passed is because immigration is HARD. Immigration is what is known in politics as a wedge issue, or issues that invoke strong responses from both sides. Anger is probably the most common reaction to immigration reform, on both sides. Some believe it will lead to a “takeover” (speaking to people’s racism and xenophobia) or a feeling that something will be taken away from them. On the other side, Latino and immigrant activists are angry and frustrated that they have waited patiently for decades now and have been taken for granted without any movement on immigration reform time and time again. So, when you have two politically and emotionally charged sides on the issue, it is going to be one hard battle.

We have to be steadfast, however, and lead with a push for immigration reform that is economic in nature: Passing comprehensive reform this year will be critical to the country’s economic recovery. So let’s go over what has happened over the past week on immigration.

The immigration proposal introduced in Congress

On day one of his administration, President Biden sent the following immigration plan to Congress. The bill was introduced by Senator Bob Menendez, a U.S. Senator from New Jersey and friend of NAHREP. Expect Senator Menendez to play a leadership role on getting this bill through Congress.

Here are the highlights:

The Strategy

By sending this proposal to Congress on his first day in office, President Biden signaled that it was a top priority for him. However, we have to maintain pressure to make sure this isn’t just a ceremonial act. An important thing to remember is that any administration has the most leverage during his or her first 100 days of office, or at least during the first year. In the second year of a presidential administration, things start getting more political and decisions are weighed against the midterm elections. So the time is now or never.

There is talk about breaking the bill up, which many think will certify that we won’t get the sweeping elements of compressive immigration reform passed, such as a path to legalization for immigrants in the country today.

A lot has to happen in order to see a bill at President Biden’s desk by the end of the year. Putting an end to the filibuster is one of them, but that’s super controversial. In a future blog, I’ll break down the history and politics of the filibuster.

Look, this is the most aggressive agenda on immigration since President Reagan’s Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, which granted legal status to 3 million people who were in the country without documentation. However, leaders do not pass difficult bills like this alone. Each and every one of you needs to be involved in getting it passed. But, if you’re up for the challenge, I’m up for the dance. NAHREP WILL play a leading role in this fight.