I’m keeping my blog super short this week. For the second time in as many weeks, the Senate parliamentarian has ruled against pathways to citizenship in a decision that hurts almost 11 million undocumented people. Many of these workers are essential to our workforce, especially during the COVID pandemic. Included in this group are essential workers, farmworkers, temporary protected status (TSP) holders, and DACA recipients, also known as Dreamers. Dreamers were brought to the US as children, and thus have always considered the US home.
Our most hopeful goal involved acquiring “green cards,” shorthand for “permanent resident alien” immigration status. For some strange reason, the senate parliamentarian does not understand the connection between being able to work as a proper budgetary consideration for the annual federal budget.
I believe she is making improper substantive decisions–these issues must be debated on the floor of the US Senate by its members. A parliamentarian’s role is to provide procedural guidance–the sequence in which matters are dispensed with for an orderly preceding.
Yesterday, the Senate parliamentarian again advised against undocumented people who contribute daily to our quality of life.
The parliamentarian opined that establishing a “date of registry” also is not properly part of the budget reconciliation debates. The date of registry allows someone seeking to change immigration status to do so by proving continuous residence in the US from a certain date.
Astonishingly, the parliamentarian views these changes in immigration status as “too big in scope” to be part of budget reconciliation. We are talking about the budget of the USA. It is inherently huge!
Again, this ties directly to such individuals securing work permits. If this is not part of the budget, why did Congress pass the Infrastructure Bill that earmarks $107 Billion for immigration-related governmental operations to address pathways to citizenship?
Call your US Senator today!
The Senate Switchboard number is:
202-224-3121
Demand: Green Cards, Date of Registry or Parole in Place, or overrule the Senate Parliamentarian!
We must get to yes on viable pathways to citizenship.
Blessings on your journey as faith-based advocate!
