Voters in the 2022 midterm elections have prioritized the need for true solutions to issues challenging the country that prioritize freedom, democracy, and safety. The following is a statement by Laura Flores, Skadden Fellow at Justice Action Center:
“Voters have made clear the urgency for better living conditions and protections, including within our immigration and asylum system. Two victories for the immigrant rights movement stand out in particular: Arizonans voted in favor of in-state tuition for all residents, regardless of immigration status, and Massachusetts voters decided to join 16 other states and Washington, D.C. in allowing undocumented workers to apply for driver’s licenses. Made possible by the leadership of immigrant organizers, these victories remind us that voters want immigrant-inclusive solutions that allow immigrants to contribute to their communities and thrive without fear.
While we celebrate these human-centered wins, it is important to remember the continued assault on immigrant-inclusive policies extremist attorneys general are leading in the courts. As JAC has documented, the same judicial playbook seeking to limit the rights of immigrant communities is the same one that has also worked to roll back reproductive rights and climate regulation on a national scale.
These issues of freedom, safety, and dignity are deeply interconnected, and efforts to secure protections for society’s most vulnerable transcend these elections. We must continue to work towards equitable solutions and sustainable systems instead of perpetuating policies of fear and exclusion. It is past time for Congress to pass permanent protections for undocumented communities and for the Biden administration to fulfill its campaign pledge to uphold the right to seek freedom and safety.”
