Cheers as Sanders Unveils 'Most Progressive' Immigration Plan
'We cannot forget about the aspiring Americans who continue to live in the shadows.'
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Tuesday unveiled an immigration plan to "keep families together" and reform militarization of border communities, an announcement that rights activists heralded as "the most detailed and progressive" blueprint from any U.S. 2016 presidential candidate.
"Millions of families are torn apart by our broken immigration policies," Sanders said Tuesday. "We cannot forget about the aspiring Americans who continue to live in the shadows."
The plan focuses on eight action points, which aim to:
- Dismantle inhumane deportation programs and private detention centers.
- Offer humane treatment and asylum to victims of domestic violence and minors fleeing from dangerous circumstances in Latin America.
- End policies that discriminate against women and ensure that mothers and wives who come into the United States with their families have the same right to work as their partners.
- Pave the way for a swift legislative path to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants.
- Close loopholes that allow federal agencies to use racial and ethnic profiling at the border.
- Ensure our border remains secure and protects local communities.
- Make it easier for immigrants to access the judicial system.
- Increase oversight of key Department of Homeland Security agencies to guard against waste, fraud and abuse.
Under this plan, which Sanders said he would implement with or without congressional action if he were elected president, close to 9 million undocumented immigrants would be able to apply for U.S. citizenship.
Hina Naveed, co-director of the advocacy group Dream Action Coalition, told the Las Vegas Sun Tuesday that the plan would also "end the expensive contracts we have with immigrant detention centers, as well as the highly controversial bed quota that guarantees them business at all of our expense."
"These are large points of difference and will have a huge impact on the day-to-day lives of diverse, mixed-status families," Naveed said. "We have seen large numbers of our community thrown behind bars as immigrants have been harshly criminalized, often for something as minor as a traffic ticket in jurisdictions where local police enforce federal immigration law."
The plan also builds on an executive order issued by President Barack Obama in 2014, which aimed to protect 5 million people from deportation.
Earlier this month, immigrant rights activists marked the one-year anniversary of that order by issuing their own action recommendations and calling for urgent reform of current policies.
On Wednesday, advocacy group United We Dream (UWD) praised Sanders' plan for meeting almost all of their five demands, calling it "the most detailed and progressive immigration plan of any candidate thus far."
"It is a testament to the power of the immigrant movement that the Sanders campaign is delivering more than talking points and values statements on how they would work for the liberation of our community," said UWD advocacy coordinator Greisa Martinez. "We hope that in the coming weeks, the Sanders campaign will improve their plan by saying how they would hold ICE agents accountable, in addition to the Border Patrol accountability measures included in the plan now and tell us how he plans on making the plan real."
Sanders issued his proposal ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday to challenge Americans to "reflect on the fact that not all families will be so lucky."
"I will not stand idly by waiting around for a dysfunctional Congress to act," Sanders said. "Instead, during the first 100 days of my administration I will take extensive action to accomplish what Congress has failed to do and to build upon President Obama's executive orders."
He concluded, "We have an obligation to enact policies that unite families, not tear them apart."
Urgent. It's never been this bad.
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission from the outset was simple. To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It’s never been this bad out there. And it’s never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed and doing some of its best and most important work, the threats we face are intensifying. Right now, with just four days to go in our Spring Campaign, we are not even halfway to our goal. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Can you make a gift right now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? There is no backup plan or rainy day fund. There is only you. —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Tuesday unveiled an immigration plan to "keep families together" and reform militarization of border communities, an announcement that rights activists heralded as "the most detailed and progressive" blueprint from any U.S. 2016 presidential candidate.
"Millions of families are torn apart by our broken immigration policies," Sanders said Tuesday. "We cannot forget about the aspiring Americans who continue to live in the shadows."
The plan focuses on eight action points, which aim to:
- Dismantle inhumane deportation programs and private detention centers.
- Offer humane treatment and asylum to victims of domestic violence and minors fleeing from dangerous circumstances in Latin America.
- End policies that discriminate against women and ensure that mothers and wives who come into the United States with their families have the same right to work as their partners.
- Pave the way for a swift legislative path to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants.
- Close loopholes that allow federal agencies to use racial and ethnic profiling at the border.
- Ensure our border remains secure and protects local communities.
- Make it easier for immigrants to access the judicial system.
- Increase oversight of key Department of Homeland Security agencies to guard against waste, fraud and abuse.
Under this plan, which Sanders said he would implement with or without congressional action if he were elected president, close to 9 million undocumented immigrants would be able to apply for U.S. citizenship.
Hina Naveed, co-director of the advocacy group Dream Action Coalition, told the Las Vegas Sun Tuesday that the plan would also "end the expensive contracts we have with immigrant detention centers, as well as the highly controversial bed quota that guarantees them business at all of our expense."
"These are large points of difference and will have a huge impact on the day-to-day lives of diverse, mixed-status families," Naveed said. "We have seen large numbers of our community thrown behind bars as immigrants have been harshly criminalized, often for something as minor as a traffic ticket in jurisdictions where local police enforce federal immigration law."
The plan also builds on an executive order issued by President Barack Obama in 2014, which aimed to protect 5 million people from deportation.
Earlier this month, immigrant rights activists marked the one-year anniversary of that order by issuing their own action recommendations and calling for urgent reform of current policies.
On Wednesday, advocacy group United We Dream (UWD) praised Sanders' plan for meeting almost all of their five demands, calling it "the most detailed and progressive immigration plan of any candidate thus far."
"It is a testament to the power of the immigrant movement that the Sanders campaign is delivering more than talking points and values statements on how they would work for the liberation of our community," said UWD advocacy coordinator Greisa Martinez. "We hope that in the coming weeks, the Sanders campaign will improve their plan by saying how they would hold ICE agents accountable, in addition to the Border Patrol accountability measures included in the plan now and tell us how he plans on making the plan real."
Sanders issued his proposal ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday to challenge Americans to "reflect on the fact that not all families will be so lucky."
"I will not stand idly by waiting around for a dysfunctional Congress to act," Sanders said. "Instead, during the first 100 days of my administration I will take extensive action to accomplish what Congress has failed to do and to build upon President Obama's executive orders."
He concluded, "We have an obligation to enact policies that unite families, not tear them apart."
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Tuesday unveiled an immigration plan to "keep families together" and reform militarization of border communities, an announcement that rights activists heralded as "the most detailed and progressive" blueprint from any U.S. 2016 presidential candidate.
"Millions of families are torn apart by our broken immigration policies," Sanders said Tuesday. "We cannot forget about the aspiring Americans who continue to live in the shadows."
The plan focuses on eight action points, which aim to:
- Dismantle inhumane deportation programs and private detention centers.
- Offer humane treatment and asylum to victims of domestic violence and minors fleeing from dangerous circumstances in Latin America.
- End policies that discriminate against women and ensure that mothers and wives who come into the United States with their families have the same right to work as their partners.
- Pave the way for a swift legislative path to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants.
- Close loopholes that allow federal agencies to use racial and ethnic profiling at the border.
- Ensure our border remains secure and protects local communities.
- Make it easier for immigrants to access the judicial system.
- Increase oversight of key Department of Homeland Security agencies to guard against waste, fraud and abuse.
Under this plan, which Sanders said he would implement with or without congressional action if he were elected president, close to 9 million undocumented immigrants would be able to apply for U.S. citizenship.
Hina Naveed, co-director of the advocacy group Dream Action Coalition, told the Las Vegas Sun Tuesday that the plan would also "end the expensive contracts we have with immigrant detention centers, as well as the highly controversial bed quota that guarantees them business at all of our expense."
"These are large points of difference and will have a huge impact on the day-to-day lives of diverse, mixed-status families," Naveed said. "We have seen large numbers of our community thrown behind bars as immigrants have been harshly criminalized, often for something as minor as a traffic ticket in jurisdictions where local police enforce federal immigration law."
The plan also builds on an executive order issued by President Barack Obama in 2014, which aimed to protect 5 million people from deportation.
Earlier this month, immigrant rights activists marked the one-year anniversary of that order by issuing their own action recommendations and calling for urgent reform of current policies.
On Wednesday, advocacy group United We Dream (UWD) praised Sanders' plan for meeting almost all of their five demands, calling it "the most detailed and progressive immigration plan of any candidate thus far."
"It is a testament to the power of the immigrant movement that the Sanders campaign is delivering more than talking points and values statements on how they would work for the liberation of our community," said UWD advocacy coordinator Greisa Martinez. "We hope that in the coming weeks, the Sanders campaign will improve their plan by saying how they would hold ICE agents accountable, in addition to the Border Patrol accountability measures included in the plan now and tell us how he plans on making the plan real."
Sanders issued his proposal ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday to challenge Americans to "reflect on the fact that not all families will be so lucky."
"I will not stand idly by waiting around for a dysfunctional Congress to act," Sanders said. "Instead, during the first 100 days of my administration I will take extensive action to accomplish what Congress has failed to do and to build upon President Obama's executive orders."
He concluded, "We have an obligation to enact policies that unite families, not tear them apart."