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Action Alert

In the Budget, we Must Include Pathways to Citizenship for Essential Workers and Their Families

UUSJ joins #WeAreHome, Faith in Action, and Side with Love to insist that Congress include pathways to citizenship for Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status holders, farmworkers, and all essential workers plus their family members who are not already US citizens or legal permanent residents.

We call on both the House and the Senate to use the reconciliation process to pass a budget that includes such pathways.

This is a matter of faith principles, in line with UUs’ first and second: People have inherent worth and dignity regardless of citizenship status and immigrants deserve justice, equity and compassion.
It is also an economic and humanitarian issue: the pandemic demonstrated that a significant part of the essential work force keeping Americans healthy, fed and safe are immigrants. They risked their lives to serve us yet were not included in the first COVID aid bills. Immigrant workers pay $50 billion in federal taxes and social security and another $25 billion in state and local taxes each year yet receive in return far less than that in benefits.
There is a moral frame: a pathway to full legal status will not only reduce the terrible uncertainty these immigrants live with but will also reduce family separation that happens when a family member is deported merely because he or she is not fully documented.

Congress has failed to reform our broken immigration system for decades. The time to act is now!

Both the comprehensive reform bill and piecemeal bills supporting DACA, TPS, Farm Workers and essential workers are not likely to be passed by the Senate through normal processes that currently require 60 votes. That means other avenues need to be considered, and reconciliation negotiations are key at this juncture in budget negotiations. UUs need to voice our support for such an approach.

Please join UUSJ and many immigrant justice-seeking organizations in urging Congress to at least provide pathways to citizenship through the budget reconciliation process in the next few weeks.

Fill in this convenient template provided here and customize the draft message to your Senators and Member of Congress. Your opinion will automatically be sent to the appropriate offices.

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UUSJ joins #WeAreHome, Faith in Action, and Side with Love to insist that

Congress must include pathways to citizenship for Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status holders, farmworkers, and all essential workers plus their family members who are not already US citizens or legal permanent residents.

We call on both the House and the Senate to consider using the reconciliation process to pass a budget that includes such pathways.

Tell your federal legislators how important this is!

Subject: Budget Reconciliation - Pathways to Citizenship for Immigrants

Message:

As your constituent, I urge you to support the inclusion of pathways to citizenship for all immigrant essential workers and their families, including DACA and TPS holders, as part of the budget reconciliation process. Please encourage your colleagues to make sure that this fundamental, long delayed act of justice and economic fairness is included in the final budget reconciliation bill.<br><br>These workers have kept us safe, fed, and healthy during the pandemic, yet have often been excluded from relief funds.  They have risked – and some have lost – their lives to meet our needs.  They pay taxes and social security beyond the benefits they receive in return.  They would invest in much more – homes, small businesses, education – if they were relieved of the month-to-month uncertainty of living without full documentation.  Many have been here for 20 years or more, with family members who are US Citizens, and thus are embedded in our society and economy.  They are our neighbors, colleagues, and friends.<br><br>As a Unitarian-Universalist, I believe in the inherent worth and dignity of all individuals, regardless of their immigration status, and in justice, equity, and compassion in human relations.  Congress has been unable to approve needed reforms to our broken immigration system for decades. Now is the time to recognize the worth and dignity of millions of undocumented immigrants and their essential roles in our communities, and their contributions to the US economy, by providing them a pathway to citizenship in the budget reconciliation bill.

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UUSJ joins #WeAreHome, Faith in Action, and Side with Love to insist that

Congress must include pathways to citizenship for Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status holders, farmworkers, and all essential workers plus their family members who are not already US citizens or legal permanent residents.

We call on both the House and the Senate to consider using the reconciliation process to pass a budget that includes such pathways.

Thank you for writing. Become a Member!

We appreciate your action!

Join Today

UUSJ joins #WeAreHome, Faith in Action, and Side with Love to insist that

Congress must include pathways to citizenship for Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status holders, farmworkers, and all essential workers plus their family members who are not already US citizens or legal permanent residents.

We call on both the House and the Senate to consider using the reconciliation process to pass a budget that includes such pathways.

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Thank you for writing. Become a Member!

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