Paradigm Shift on Immigration is the Direct Result of Years of Immigrant-Led Mobilizing and Organizing
LOS ANGELES — Just before he was installed as president, President-Elect Biden announced a slew of executive orders and unveiled legislation designed to create a fair, humane, and functional immigration system. The orders would get rid of Trump’s infamous Muslim bans, restore Deferred Enforced Departure, and strengthen DACA, among other things. The proposed legislation, to be introduced in Congress later this week, would make sweeping changes to an immigration system that has not been meaningfully updated in over a quarter century.
Karen Tumlin, founder and director of the Justice Action Center released the following statement:
“For too long, we’ve seen the devastating consequences of an immigration system that criminalized an entire community of mostly Black and brown immigrants. This ballooning industry’s sole purpose is to deter, detain, and deport immigrants away from their families and communities, often in violation of the Constitution and their fundamental rights.
“The proposal outlined by the incoming Biden administration, and the accompanying legislation is a welcome and much-needed paradigm shift on immigration. And, it is a testament to the immigrant-led organizing work conducted for years, along with courageous efforts by immigrants to assert their rights in courts across the country. This legislation would strengthen and expand legal options for immigrants to build their lives here, while rejecting the false notion that such pathways must be done at the expense of more boots on the ground or immigrants in jails.
“While Donald Trump was the worst, he was by no means the only president to violate the rights of immigrants and their families. Justice Action Center is proud to support this much-needed legislation, and we hope to engage in further conversations with the incoming administrations to restore fairness and dignity our clients deserve.
“Today is a new beginning, and we are ready to get to work.”
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Justice Action Center (JAC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting for greater justice for immigrant communities by combining litigation and storytelling.