Congresswoman Ramirez Statement on White House Announcement on Accelerated Work Authorization, Border Enforcement

Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Vice Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Committee, released the following statement after  the Biden Administration announced another series of actions to increase enforcement and further militarize the Southwest Border, accelerate processing of work authorizations, and the decision to redesignate and extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuela:

“I commend President Biden and his Administration for heeding my call and the call of immigration advocates and local and state officials by delivering Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for our Venezuelan immigrants and expanding access to work authorizations for migrants. As our nation faces a labor shortage and our sanctuary cities await proper resources to keep providing much-needed refuge and services, these steps help us rise to meet the needs of migrants seeking asylum. We continue to encourage the administration to use all the resources and authority at their disposal to build on these actions and to deliver long overdue relief to the broader undocumented immigrant community, especially DACA recipients and those who have waited decades for comprehensive immigration reform. This will strengthen our economy in the face of nationwide labor shortages,” said Congresswoman Ramirez. “While these steps are to be celebrated, I continue to be concerned about further militarization of our border and the decision to expedite family removals, which narrows the constitutional right to due process for asylum seekers.“

“I remain committed to continued work with the Administration to genuinely address the humanitarian crisis at our border. We must continue prioritizing actions that bring resources to communities, strengthen our economy, and move forward a comprehensive immigration reform that addresses the root causes of migration.”