FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 17, 2021
CONTACT
Noor Mir, noor@dcactionlab.com
CONGRESS MUST DISREGARD THE PARLIAMENTARIAN AND PROVIDE GREEN CARDS IN BBB
Communities United for Status and Protection (CUSP) Continues to Urge the Senate to Disregard the Parliamentarian and Provide Green Cards to Millions
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, the Senate Parliamentarian rejected the Democrats’ third proposal attempting to grant relief to millions of undocumented immigrants. This proposal, “Plan C,” would have provided temporary protection from deportation, work permits, and the ability to travel to immigrants currently living in the US without status until 2031.
From the very beginning, CUSP has been strongly opposed to this temporary program which we believe to be wholly inadequate and in direct opposition to what our communities have been calling for: permanent residency for all. This third rejection by the Parliamentarian clearly shows that she has no intention of approving any form of immigration relief to be included in the Build Back Better Act, despite very clear and significant budgetary impact. Senators must not allow a non-elected Senate staffer to subvert the will of the people via a purely advisory opinion. Senators must fulfill their duties to our communities and legislate what is right. The only way to do this is by including permanent residency in the Build Back Better Act.
As a collaborative that represents thousands of African, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latinx, Arab/Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Asian and Pacific Islander TPS holders, we know first hand their many contributions to this nation. During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, almost one-third of all TPS holders were employed in essential occupations and worked to keep America safe and healthy. As our public health crisis continues, TPS holders will remain essential to the nation’s economic recovery. CUSP continues to call on Congress to recognize these immigrants’ commitment to this country by ignoring the advisory opinion of the Senate Parliamentarian and finally delivering a pathway to citizenship.
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Communities United for Status and Protection (CUSP) is a collaborative of grassroots immigrant community organizations working together to win permanent status for our members and communities, and build a more inclusive immigrant rights movement that centers the needs and experiences of African, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latinx, Arab/Middle Eastern, and API immigrants.
The UndocuBlack Network (UBN), founded in 2016, is a multigenerational network of currently and formerly undocumented Black people that fosters community, facilitates access to resources and contributes to transforming the realities of our people so we are thriving and living our fullest lives. UBN has chapters in New York City, the DC/MD/VA area, and Los Angeles, CA.
Adhikaar (Nepali: rights) is a New York-based non-profit, organizing the Nepali-speaking community to promote human rights and social justice for all. We are a women-led workers’ center and community center focused on workers’ rights, immigration rights, access to affordable healthcare and language justice. We organize the Nepali-speaking community to create broader social change; build coalitions on advocacy campaigns that address our community's needs; center women and the most impacted communities in our leadership; engage members in participatory action research; and implement community education, workplace development training, and support services.
African Communities Together (ACT) is an organization of African immigrants fighting for civil rights, opportunity, and a better life for our families here in the U.S. and worldwide. ACT empowers African immigrants to integrate socially, get ahead economically, and engage civically. We connect African immigrants to critical services, help Africans develop as leaders, and organize our communities on the issues that matter.
Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community organization that advocates for fair and humane immigration policies and provides bond support and humanitarian, legal, and other social services, with a particular focus on Black immigrants, the Haitian community, women, LGBTQAI+ individuals and survivors of torture and other human rights abuses. Since 2015, HBA has provided services to asylum seekers and other migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, in U.S. detention, and during U.S. immigration proceedings.
National Network for Arab American Community (NNAAC) is a national consortium of independent Arab American community-based organizations. The Network’s primary mission is to build the capacity of Arab American non-profit organizations that focus on the needs and issues impacting their local community while collectively addressing those issues nationally