Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement applauding the Biden administration for heeding her call to take executive action to protect hardworking mixed-status families and Dreamers in Nevada and across the country — the biggest policy victory for immigrant families since DACA 12 years ago.
“I’m thrilled to celebrate this incredible step forward,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “The Biden administration understands that you can invest in border security and stand with immigrant families — it’s the right thing to do, and it’s the smart thing to do.”
In Nevada alone, there are nearly 136,000 U.S. citizens living with at least one family member who is undocumented and 10,500 Dreamers contributing to our communities and paying taxes. The Biden administration’s new policy includes a family unity program for undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens who’ve lived here for more than 10 years, allowing them to stay here, get work permits and potentially apply for legal permanent residency. It will also make it easier for American employers to sponsor Dreamers for visas, creating a pathway to permanent residency in the future. Together, these actions could benefit over 500,000 people nationwide.
The first and only Latina Senator, Senator Cortez Masto has consistently pushed to fix our broken immigration system by balancing critical border security measures with a path to citizenship for Dreamers, TPS holders, and essential workers. She’s introduced legislation to fix our outdated immigration laws. She’s led calls to address delays in DACA renewal applications and make it easier for mixed status families to stay together.
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