Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), the highest ranking Latino in the U.S. Congress, led a group of 25 of his Senate colleagues in officially introducing the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021President Biden’s bold, inclusive, and humane framework for immigration reform will fundamentally transform our immigration system by providing 11 million undocumented immigrants with a pathway to citizenship, growing our economy, addressing roots causes of migration, and effectively managing our borders.

 Today’s introduction, coming as the Senate returned from recess, follows last week’s bicameral announcement of the bill and introduction in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Linda Sánchez and 80 co-sponsors.

“I am thrilled to have formally introduced the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, President Biden’s bold, inclusive vision for immigration reform, with support from 25 of my Senate colleagues,” said Sen. Menendez. “Having more than one-quarter of the Senate behind this critical piece of legislation right out of the gate shows that a broad swath of the American people support a sweeping overhaul of our immigration system. While the work ahead will not be easy, we have a moral and economic imperative to get this done. After the former administration’s incessant attacks against immigrant communities, we cannot afford to kick the can down the road any longer. We must tackle this issue head on, and make sure we provide a pathway to citizenship and give relief to as many immigrants and families as possible.”

 The U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 is cosponsored by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Majority Whip Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Sens. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Michael Bennett (D-Colo.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-Nev.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.).

 

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