ON IMMIGRATION
Immigration is an issue that was prioritized by our community leaders in 2018. Since then, UIA has been committed to advocating for this issue.
At the local level we have worked with the Fall River Police Department (FRPD) to revise the U-Visa Policy, which allows undocumented immigrants who are victims of crime or witness a crime to receive a certificate that can initiate a citizenship process.
Also, in collaboration with the FRPD and Bristol Community College, officers have been trained in conversational dialogue in Spanish, which you can read more about at this link. The same will be happening in Portuguese and Khmer.
At the state level, UIA has also been a strong advocate for drivers licenses for all. For our immigrant leaders, this is a number one priority. Currently, the Work and Family Mobility Act sits in the House Transportation Committee, of which New Bedford State Representative William Straus is a Co-Chair, making our local organizing effort all the more impactful at the state level.
At the national level, we have worked with our statewide MCAN Network on the Pathway to Citizenship. Congress has included a pathway for citizenship in its proposed federal budget, both for immigrant essential workers and for Dreamers, farmworkers and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders. In the past year, UIA leaders helped Co-Chair a Town Hall with Senator Ed Markey and lead a meeting with Congressman Jake Auchincloss to move this issue further on a national level.
We need to continue letting our elected officials know that creating a pathway to citizenship is essential.
Please call your elected officials with this message:
This is ___ from ___ (city/town). I am thrilled that the infrastructure package includes a pathway to citizenship for immigrant essential workers, Dreamers, TPS holders, and farmworkers. I am calling to urge Senator/Rep ___to make it a top priority to ensure that this language stays in the bill and does NOT get negotiated out.
Contact info: Senator Warren - 617 565-3170 AND Senator Markey - 617-565-8519
click here to identify who your Representative is and locate the phone number
To be involved with UIA to work on immigration issues please contact us.