“It is with renewed hope that I welcome the Biden-Harris Administration and I look forward to working with them and the new Congress to enact meaningful and desperately-needed immigration reform. The U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 is a critical first and necessary step, delivering on a campaign promise and providing a much-needed pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants who have been contributing to our communities for decades and who have sacrificed their lives on the frontlines of the pandemic. After four years of the dismantling of our system and laws, this bill is a promising act in protecting legal immigration avenues and expanding opportunities for those seeking refuge in this nation of immigrants.

“New York is home to nearly 4.5 million immigrant residents, more than 2.2 million of whom are working in essential industries crucial to our COVID-19 recovery. Three in four Americans, Republicans and Democrats, support a pathway to permanent legal status for all undocumented immigrants. Americans are clear on this issue, the time for reform is now.

“Our faith and organizing have given us an enormous moment to build a humane, fair, and equitable system that is centered on keeping families safe and together – beyond merely undoing the terrible harms put on immigrant families and communities that were relentlessly targeted by the previous Administration. I’m grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration for prioritizing keeping families together and doing right by the millions of hardworking immigrants who have helped keep all of us safe and cared for during the COVID-19 pandemic. Congress, including Senate Majority Leader Schumer with his new power, should immediately pass legislation such as the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021. There is no reason to delay.”