It’s been more than three decades since Congress last passed major reform to our immigration system. Since then, immigration patterns and our national needs have shifted dramatically, putting enormous strain on a system that is simply not equipped to manage it. This has created dangerous fodder for demagogues who blame immigrants for the failures of our overburdened immigration system.

We are at our best when we show people what we stand for—not just what we stand against. As we fight to defend immigrants today, we cannot fall into defending the failed status quo that brought us to this point. We must build the policy, political, and communications strategies needed to meet this moment and chart a course toward an immigration system that allows our nation to thrive for decades to come.