Congresswoman Ramirez Leads 21 Members of Congress to Urge DHS to Ensure Relief for Immigrants and their Families

Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), the Vice Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Committee, led 21 members of Congress In a letter addressed to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Ur Jaddou urging the Administration to ensure their forthcoming Federal Register Notice ensures relief for as many immigrants and their families living in fear of deportation as initially announced.

Based on DHS’s announcement, undocumented individuals who have prior immigration histories and are subject to a ground of inadmissibility will be excluded from the new parole in place process. Members of Congress noted it is critical to ensure the forthcoming Federal Register Notice detailing eligibility and how to apply for the new process will bring relief to as many immigrants and their families living in fear of deportation as possible.

Members of Congress urged DHS to “minimize the use and avoid the creation of crime- or conduct-based bars…especially for Black and Brown communities, [whose] contact with the criminal legal system mirrors racial disparities and often results from racial profiling and discrimination.”

Congresswoman Ramirez, who led the letter, added: “The Administration invited our communities to celebrate the most significant positive policy change for immigrants and their families since DACA, only to learn that hundreds of thousands of noncitizen members of mixed-status families may not be eligible for the relief this announcement brings because they dared to keep their family together, care for loved ones, or financially support themselves and their relatives. The Administration must ensure that the implementation of the announcement mirrors its intent. Where it falls short, the Administration must take the necessary action to provide relief and work authorization to the more than 500,000 spouses for whom stability and security is long overdue.”

Members of Congress wrote, “we also support our constituents who are in need of the protections this process offers but whose cases are more complex and involve bars to eligibility. We respectfully request a commitment from the Department to continue to work with us and impacted communities to develop subsequent opportunities for these individuals and their families to access protection.”   

In the letter, the members of Congress also called for DHS to adopt flexible and generous guidelines regarding eligibility for fee waivers and include strong safeguards of applicants’ personal information to minimize fear of immigration enforcement.

The letter is also signed by Representatives Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Greg Casar (TX-35), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Raúl Grijalva (AZ-07), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), James McGovern (MA-02), Robert Menendez (NJ-08), Eleanor Norton (DC Delegate), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Linda Sánchez (CA-38), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), and Nikema Williams (GA-05).

Last month, the Biden-Harris Administration announced new executive actions to keep mixed-status families together. The announcement was intended to protect approximately half a million spouses of U.S. citizens and approximately 50,000 noncitizen children with a parent married to a U.S. citizen, which was intended to be the most significant positive policy change for immigrants and their families since the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in 2012.

For the full text of the letter, click HERE. 

BACKGROUND

As the proud daughter of immigrants, the wife of a Dreamer, representative of IL-03, and the Vice Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Committee, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez has worked tirelessly to humanely address immigration, bring resources back to the district and has stood against the scapegoating of immigrant communities throughout her time in Congress. 

• Congresswoman Ramirez is co-leading with Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (TX-29) the bipartisan American Dream and Promise Act, legislation that provides a pathway to citizenship for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) recipients.
• Congresswoman Ramirez co-sponsors H.R.1698, the American Families United Act, bipartisan legislation to keep families together by granting immigration judges and officials the authority to assess the impact that family separation would have on a U.S. citizen and allow the sponsor of their spouses and children for green cards even in cases where immigration bars prohibit it.  
• On June 14, 2024, Congresswoman Ramirez, joined by Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), led 65 members of Congress on a letter to President Biden outlining a series of executive actions he should take to protect Dreamers and modernize and strengthen the DACA program, including a pathway to legal residence and work permits.