U.S. Senator Alex Padilla has introduced a bill that would allow millions of undocumented immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for at least seven years to apply for permanent legal status.
“Americans know there’s a better path forward than the Trump Administration’s cruel scapegoating of hardworking immigrants and fearmongering of California communities,” said Padilla. “We believe that if you’ve lived here for over seven years, paid taxes for years, contributed to your community for years, and you don’t have a criminal record, then you deserve a pathway to legalization.”
The bill, called the Renewing Immigration Provisions of the Immigration Act of 1929, would update a part of immigration law known as the Registry. It would change the current cutoff date, from January 1, 1972, and instead allow eligibility to roll forward so that immigrants can qualify if they’ve been in the U.S. for seven years before applying, have no criminal record, and meet other requirements.
The proposal could impact more than 8 million people, including Dreamers, TPS holders, children of long-term visa holders, essential workers, and high-skilled immigrants like H-1B visa holders. According to FWD.us, if those eligible eventually gained citizenship, they could contribute an estimated $121 billion a year to the U.S. economy and pay about $35 billion in taxes.
Alejandro Barranco shared that his father, a longtime worker and immigrant, was met with unjust treatment while detained by unidentified agents, an experience he says reflects the broader mistreatment faced by immigrant families across the country. He said the attack on his father was an attack on all immigrants who have sacrificed for the American dream, and called for urgent action to fix the immigration system.
This attack wasn’t just on him; it was on every immigrant who has ever sacrificed for the American dream, said Barranco.
Barranco, just like others, said at the press conference that they stand with Padilla, who is fighting to make America better.
Angelica Salas, executive director of Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), questioned why immigrants are trusted to care for American families but not trusted with a path to citizenship.
“I ask the American people: if you trust us to pick your crops, help build your homes, take care of your children and elderly parents, play with sons and daughters in the same sports teams, why won’t you trust us to be part of the American dream?,” said Salas.
She said permanent legal status is the only way to ensure safety and freedom for immigrants who already call the U.S. home.
The bill is co-led by Senator Dick Durbin and backed by more than a dozen Senate Democrats. Representative Zoe Lofgren has introduced a similar version in the House.
“Protections for these hard-working individuals are long overdue… [Immigrants] should be able to call America home with certainty…” said Durbin.
Durbin said many longtime immigrants have been arrested without due process, despite having no criminal history. He added that while most contribute to their communities and deserve protection, those who commit violent crimes should be removed.
“Pathway to citizenship is a practical solution to provide stability to immigrants who have worked and contributed to our country for years. It’s part of the solution, and I look forward to working to pass this bill into law.”
Padilla says the bill is a response to aggressive immigration enforcement tactics under the Trump administration. In California and other states, ICE raids and detentions targeted undocumented residents with no criminal history.
The Registry provision was first created in 1929 and has been updated four times, most recently in 1986. Padilla’s bill would make it so future changes would not require new congressional action.
The bill would not create any new agencies or immigration programs. It would simply update an existing process that allows immigrants who have been in the country for a long time to apply for a green card.For more information visit: https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-announces-bill-to-reopen-lawful-pathway-to-legalization-countering-trumps-cruel-mass-deportation-agenda/
