Received this e-mail today from newly appointed U.S. Senator Alex Padilla’s (D. CA) re-election campaign:
Immigration reform is urgent and a matter of life or death for people fleeing violence or persecution.
Immigrants needlessly suffered under Donald Trump. It's time to right those wrongs. That's why I stand with President Biden in his work to roll back the dangerous executive actions of the Trump administration and build a better future that guarantees that undocumented essential workers and their families are included in our nation's economic recovery.
We must find permanent protections for the 11 million undocumented immigrants living, working, and contributing to our country. We must keep essential workers safe and recognize their role in keeping us safe through the pandemic. And Joe Biden's plan will do just that.
I'm ready to make sweeping immigration reform a reality -- are you with me? Add your name to support the fight to build a path to citizenship and success for immigrants today.
We have deemed so many of undocumented workers as essential, and we have an obligation to treat them as essential. They deserve not just COVID and labor protections but the security of a path to citizenship.
PERIOD.
Like so many families, mine came to this country for a better life, more opportunities, and safer communities. They made sacrifices because they believed in securing the American dream for their son -- now it's time to move that torch forward and ensure that every Californian has a shot at achieving their own American dream. It's time to deliver on that promise by prioritizing immigration reform and protection for undocumented essential workers.
I'm committed to working with President Biden on a permanent solution that fulfills the promise of our country -- but I need you by my side to get it done. Add your name to join the fight to pass immigration reform once and for all.
Thanks,
Alex Padilla
Click here to add your name.
Also, check out Padilla’s recent interview in The New York Times to get to know the new U.S. Senator from California. Here’s a taste:
Your own political career came out of your immigration activism. I’ve talked to a lot of current immigration activists who are very skeptical about whether the Biden administration will make the kinds of sweeping changes they want to see. Do you share any of that skepticism?
No state has more at stake in that debate than this one. Look, I am optimistic, but I know full well that it’s going to take a lot of work and I’m eager to get to that work. I think we need normalization and a pathway to citizenship for all undocumented immigrants in the nation. A good chunk of the essential work force that we’ve been praising since the beginning of the pandemic is undocumented. It is not enough to just reverse executive orders signed by Donald Trump. We have to go beyond that and actually provide the comprehensive immigration reform. So it may be hard, but I know it’s possible we have to rebuild the asylum system at the border, among other things. Let’s tackle the wait times of the naturalization process for eligible citizens today.