Rep. Mike Levin Votes for Landmark Legislation to Modernize and Reform Immigration System
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Mike Levin (D-CA), the grandson of Mexican immigrants on his mother’s side and a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), voted to pass The American Dream and Promise Act of 2021 and The Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021. Together, these landmark pieces of legislation offers a path to lawful permanent resident (LPR) status for Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients, and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED), and provides stability, predictability, and fairness to the workers who feed America.
“My mother’s parents immigrated from Mexico because they wanted to achieve the American dream and create a better life for their children and grandchildren. Our country was founded on that promise, and we must keep it,” said Rep. Levin. “Dreamers are Americans in every way except on paper. They’re young, brave, hardworking people who contribute greatly to our country, and the Dream and Promise Act offers them the path to lawful permanent resident status that they deserve. I’m also proud to support the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which will ensure that farmers can meet their labor needs by establishing a program for the workers who feed America to earn legal status through continued agricultural employment. Hispanic and immigrant members of our community have been on the frontlines of this pandemic – making our country stronger just as they have for years – and this legislation ensures they can continue to pursue their American dream.”
The American Dream and Promise Act establishes a path to lawful permanent resident (LPR) status for Dreamers and for certain individuals who either held or were eligible for TPS or DED. The majority of these individuals have been in the United States for much of their lives, often with work authorization and temporary protections against deportation. Five years after attaining full LPR status, individuals are then eligible to apply for citizenship, a path that is supported by nearly 75 percent of the American public. H.R. 6 promotes justice and fairness for our nation’s Dreamers, and for the TPS and DED holders who fled ongoing armed conflict and other extraordinary conditions to come to this country and who have been contributing to our economy and our communities for years and are employed at high rates in industries that often struggle to find sufficient U.S. workers.
The Farm Workforce Modernization Act stabilizes the agricultural sector and preserves our rural heritage by ensuring that farmers can meet their labor needs by establishing a program for agricultural workers, their spouses and minor children can earn legal Certified Agricultural Worker (CAW) status through continued agricultural employment. H.R. 1603 also reforms the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program to provide more flexibility for employers, while ensuring critical protections for workers. And to ensure a legal workforce for the agriculture sector, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act establishes a mandatory, nationwide E-Verify system to ensure compliance with the reformed H-2A visa program while also protecting workers’ due process rights.
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