FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Wednesday, September 29, 2021

CONTACT: press@populardemocracy.org

NEW YORK CITY - In response to the Senate Parliamentarian’s ruling on a pathway to citizenship through reconciliation, Ana Maria Archila, co-executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy, issued the following statement:

“Today, the Senate Parliamentarian once again issued a misguided advisory opinion against the inclusion of a pathway to citizenship in reconciliation.  However, there is precedent and a strong rationale for the immigration proposal to be included in the reconciliation bill.  If Democrats, who control the Senate, House of Representatives, and the White House choose to follow this advisory opinion, they would be shutting the doors to millions of undocumented immigrants who call this country home. The impact of following this advisory opinion cannot be overstated: our leaders would be letting an unelected Parliamentarian deal a blow to the dreams and aspirations of millions of essential workers who have contributed their lives to our country and deserve a chance to live with their families without fear.  

This erroneous advisory opinion is an overreach by the Parliamentarian, and should be disregarded. We call on the Vice President, acting as the Presiding Officer of the Senate, to use her power to disregard this decision and allow a pathway to citizenship to be included in the reconciliation bill.  

We need our leaders to meet this historic moment by using every tool at their disposal to ensure that everyone in this country can live with dignity and thrive.”

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ABOUT THE CENTER FOR POPULAR DEMOCRACY

The Center for Popular Democracy is a national network of more than 50 community organizations dedicated to achieving racial and economic justice through local grassroots organizing. CPD trains and supports leadership, staff, and members to grow base-building organizations to scale and leverage that strength to win cutting-edge policy victories at the federal, state and local level.