In response to the executive action by President Biden that would shield longtime mixed-status families in the United States from deportation and allow Dreamers to obtain work visas, Amy Fischer, Director of Refugee and Migrant Rights at Amnesty International USA, made the following statement:
“Amnesty International USA welcomes President Biden’s action to expand protections for immigrant families and Dreamers across the United States and ensure people who have been here for years, paying taxes, building their lives here, and contributing in countless ways to our communities, can continue to do so.
“No one should have to live with the fear that their lives and the lives of their family and community could be upended at any time.
“This is a victory especially for the brave immigrant communities who declared themselves “undocumented and unafraid” and demanded that they have a right to stay where their home is, and their home is here in the United States.
“With this action, President Biden is showing moral courage to do the right thing for immigrants who call the U.S. home, and we encourage President Biden to find that courage again to undo the incredibly harmful and dangerous policies recently implemented by his administration at the border.
“Immigrants are a critical part of our society and economy, but President Biden’s executive action just weeks ago decimated asylum protections for people at-risk who are exercising their right to seek safety. Any approach to immigration policy must be wholistic, respect human rights, and reinforce a foundation of welcome for all people.”
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