American lawmakers seek immigration overhaul

Influential American lawmakers, including Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, have urged President-elect Joe Biden to reverse the immigration policies of Donald Trump, as they introduced a resolution, seeking reform of the immigration system that is just, empathetic and fair.

Jayapal and several of her Congressional colleagues on Friday in a resolution urged Congress to create humane, community-based alternatives to detention, and revamp the current deportation system to include, among other things, guaranteed access to legal representation.

Jayapal along with congressmen Jesús “Chuy” García, Veronica Escobar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Judy Chu and Yvette Clarke unveiled a Roadmap to Freedom Resolution as a progressive vision to transform the immigration system to one that is focused on dignity and rooted in the needs and lives of impacted people.

The Roadmap to Freedom Resolution will be introduced at the beginning of the 117th Congress.

This immigration reform proposal develops and implements a Roadmap to Freedom by promoting citizenship, protecting and strengthening a fair process centered on family unity, promoting and preserving diversity and establishing a just, humane immigration system.

Additionally, it ensures federal immigration agencies are fair and accountable, establishes a humane and effective border policy, recognises the value of all work and promotes healthy communities.

The resolution also promotes social, civil and economic integration while modernising and strengthening humanitarian pathways to the US. The resolution addresses root causes of migration as well.

“As a lifelong immigrant rights organiser and one of only 14 naturalised citizens serving in Congress, I know that we must do far more than simply reverse the harmful, xenophobic policies of the Trump Administration that inflicted maximum cruelty on immigrants and families,” Jayapal said.

“Our immigration system has been broken for decades, and we must finally reform it in a humane way that focuses on respect, dignity, family unity and real opportunity for all immigrants,” she said as she described the resolution as a bold, progressive vision for immigration reform that is fair, equitable, center family unity and humanitarian protections, combats systemic injustices and works for everyone.

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This comprehensive proposal was developed in close consultation with grassroots groups, immigration organisers, labour advocates, civil rights leaders and racial justice activists.

The members of Congress, who are co-leading the resolution, represent the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Congressional Black Caucus, and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus as the Roadmap works to address the diverse needs of every community while reflecting the diversity of America’s immigrant community.

“Our immigration system is broken. Dreamers who have known no other home are at risk of deportation. Hundreds of migrant children are now permanently separated from their parents. Asylum seekers are being revictimised in refugee camps at the border,” said Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

“The Roadmap to Freedom outlines a set of principles for creating an immigration system that is just, empathetic, effective and fair,” she said.

The Trump administration hardened the immigration rules on those allowed to seek asylum in the US and advocated a merit-based immigration system to protect US workers.

His administration also tried ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in 2017, but the US Supreme Court blocked its attempt in June.

A federal court early this month reversed the decision of the outgoing Trump administration and ordered full reinstatement of the Obama-era programme that protects undocumented immigrants brought to the US as minors from deportation.