ATLANTA, GA — FWD.us Georgia State Immigration Director Jaime Rangel issued the following statement today as the 2022 Georgia State Legislative session begins under the Gold Dome, highlighting priorities and opportunities to support Georgia’s immigrants and all Georgians:

“The Georgia State Legislature is reconvening for what I hope will be a productive session that builds from the progress made last year around immigration policy. As a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) recipient myself, who is one of more than one million immigrants who calls the Peach State home, I was proud to see smart policies like tuition equity make progress in the State Legislature last year to reduce barriers for young immigrants to earn a higher education so the state can prosper with the full economic participation of all Georgians. It was also encouraging to see lawmakers collaborate on the House Study Committee on Innovative Ways to Maximize Global Talent in Georgia that showcased the growing bipartisan support from legislators and community leaders in favor of finding commonsense immigration solutions. Now, we must build on this momentum to ensure Georgia immigrants, who are essential to our workforce and economy, can continue working and contributing to our state.

“While Congress debates federal policy, there is ample work to be done at the state level to address unique challenges here in Georgia to improve quality of life for all Georgians, regardless of immigration status, keep our renowned business environment competitive, and stabilize our workforce. However, to make progress in the right direction, we must work together. I look forward to continuing important conversations with state lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to move the needle on pro-immigration, pro-growth policies that will benefit all.”