WASHINGTON D.C., DC — Democratic lawmakers in Washington D.C. urged President Biden to take executive action and streamline a path to US citizenship for undocumented immigrants who have been living in the United States for decades, undocumented spouses of US citizens and family caregivers.
A news conference was held Wednesday morning.
"We should not fear immigration as a subject matter, we should lean into it because we recognize the value all immigrants, including undocumented immigrants, like dreamers, like farm workers and immigrant essential workers bring to the community and bring to our country each and every day," said Senator Padilla, who represents California.
He was joined by fellow senators, including Senator Cory Booker and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, as well as other immigration advocates.
They're also urging President Biden to find a path to US citizenship for DACA recipients, undocumented young people who were brought to the United States as children.
This push for a more streamlined process comes at a time when immigration is a top issue. There have been surges of migrants at the US-Mexico border. According to Customs and Border Protection, the number of encounters with migrants in San Diego this fiscal year is up significantly compared to last fiscal year.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle agree immigration reform needs to happen, however, they don't agree on what it should look like.
Meanwhile, if President Biden were to take executive action on this issue, it's unclear if it will have a true impact. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said publicly recently that executive action on this issue has often ended up tied up in court.
Watch Related: California first in nation to offer undocumented immigrants Medi-Cal (Dec 28, 2023)