Washington, DC – Last night, the Senate parliamentarian rejected the proposed “Plan C” immigration provisions in the Build Back Better Act. Through a process called a “Byrd Bath,” the unelected Senate staff member heard arguments on the budgetary impacts of the bill’s provisions and shared opinions against the inclusion of deportation relief and work permits for millions.
The parliamentarian’s “no” is not binding; it does not mean that the immigration protections in the bill are dead. Members of Congress have the responsibility and the ultimate decision-making power to determine what goes into the final reconciliation package. Immigrant groups, advocates, and people of faith have stood their ground in this back-and-forth process and demand that Congress deliver on their promise and pass citizenship this year.
“This decision was anticipated, but as people of faith and hope, Franciscans continue to call on the Senate to pass legislation that provides permanent protections and a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who contribute in multiple ways to the common good of all U.S. Americans,” stated Sr. Marie Lucey, Associate Director of Franciscan Action Network. “The Gospel mission, principles of Catholic Social Teaching, and Franciscan values compel us to continue to advocate with immigrant brothers and sisters in their fight for justice.”
“Our communities are calling for Congress to do the moral thing and disregard the parliamentarian’s opinion. We must look at the impact of permanent protections on the lives of millions of undocumented immigrants – it outwieghs the opinion of the parliamentarian or archaic Senate rules,” stated Peniel Ibe, IIC co-chair and Policy Engagement Coordinator at the American Friends Service Committee. “Leaders in Congress and the Biden administration promised citizenship – nothing less. We continue to remind Congress to keep a promise delayed by decades of inaction. Congress must create permanent protections that are inclusive and accessible. The urgency is real; with each passing day, our communities are separated, caught in the web of cruel and unjust detention and deportation policies.”
“We are deeply disheartened by the Parliamentarian’s latest ruling,” said Barbara Weinstein, Director, Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism. “In Judaism we are taught ‘the stranger who resides with you shall be to you as one of your citizens; you shall love them as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt’ (Leviticus 19:34). It is past time to provide a pathway to citizenship for our 11 million immigrant neighbors. We call on Congress not to let this latest setback keep them from delivering on immigration this year.”
“Our faith teaches us that we are members of God’s family and challenges us to welcome newcomers,” said Ann Scholz, SSND, Associate Director for Social Mission, Leadership Conference of Women Religious. “The Build Back Better Act is transformative legislation that focuses on the common good. We urge Senators to persist in the quest for justice for immigrants, to seize this historic moment and put an end to the uncertainty and fear that plague our immigrant neighbors by including a pathway to citizenship for 11 million members of our communities.”
“During the pandemic, countless numbers of undocumented immigrants have risked their lives to advance and protect the health, safety, and well-being of all Americans,” said Giovana Oaxaca, Program Director for Migration Policy, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. “Permanent protections and a pathway to citizenship for these individuals is long-overdue and is absolutely essential for the country’s continued health response and economic recovery. As people of faith, we will continue to stand alongside our immigrant sisters and brothers to demand that their dignity be honored by the country they’ve supported so faithfully. Consistent with the ELCA Social Message on Immigration, we support flexible ways for undocumented immigrants and their families to adjust their status.”
“Including permanent protections in the Build Back Better bill would meet human needs in ways the God of scripture – who ‘is a refuge for the oppressed’ (Psalm 9:9) and who intends ‘to set the captives free’ (Luke 4:19) – has called us all to emulate: offering justice, lifting up the vulnerable, strengthening the fainthearted,” said Rev. Dr. Sharon Stanley-Rea, Disciples Refugee & Immigration Ministries. “Congress–in this crucial moment–must do all they have the power to do; including bypassing the parliamentarian’s disappointing decision in order to ensure citizenship for immigrants and their families who have faithfully contributed to our nation and congregations even while living in constant fear of family separation.”
“People of faith nationwide have prayed and acted for months to pass a Holy Recovery that enables every person to thrive, and that especially includes our undocumented neighbors and families who have disproportionately suffered during the pandemic and heroically taken on work we finally acknowledge as ‘essential.’ We cannot Build Back Better unless we include everyone, stated Rev. Jennifer Butler, CEO of Faith in Public Life Action. “The parliamentarian’s decision is disappointing, but we will continue to push Congress to acknowledge the dignity of our immigrant neighbors in a spirit of hopeful determination. Behind all the dollars and cents of our policies are our neighbors and families. People of faith will continue working in the spirit of what Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., called ‘creative maladjustment’ to the injustices and barriers to thriving that too many of our families and neighbors face, until the final vote is cast. We call on the Vice President to ignore this decision and create a pathway for citizenship immediately in 2022.”
The Interfaith Immigration Coalition is made up of over 55 national, faith-based organizations brought together across many theological traditions with a common call to seek just policies that lift up the God-given dignity of every individual. In partnership, we work to protect the rights, dignity, and safety of all refugees and migrants. Follow us on Twitter @interfaithimm
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