New York: The New York Immigration Coalition led advocates in a celebration of Biden-Harris’ ticket’s overwhelming sweep of New York State and their campaign’s victory in the 2020 elections. Across the country, immigrant communities and people of color helped take back the “blue wall” states of Pennsylvania and Michigan. The Immigration Coalition also reminded the Biden administration of their promises to immigrants and demanded they immediately prioritize a roll-back of Trump’s executive orders and actions and pursue a broad and bold series of reforms to the country’s immigration system.
“This year, immigration was on the ballot—and it won a resounding victory. Millions of Americans firmly repudiated Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda at the polls with a record-breaking turnout from immigrants and people of color and a show of force not seen in previous elections,” said Murad Awawdeh and Rovika Rajkishun, Interim Co-Executive Directors of NYIC Action. “Here in New York, NYIC Action mobilized thousands of immigrant citizen New Yorkers—many of them first-time voters—to vote for Vice President Biden, Senator Harris, and other Democratic Congressional and State candidates because they believe immigration is good for New York and good for America. Now, as we get ready to swear in a Democratic administration, we remind Vice President Biden and Senator Harris of their promises: to rescind the Muslim Ban, reinstate and expand DACA and TPS programs, as just a starting point to rebuilding our immigration system from the ground up. And to ensure that our new leadership prioritize immigrant communities, we are launching a $3 million campaign with one goal: to ensure every single member of Congress in New York, with New York Senator Chuck Schumer leading the way, works to win immigration reform that will bring the justice and freedom—not only from Trump’s racist policies, but from our failed immigration system that has been broken for decades.”
“I am proud of the progress we have made to protect immigrants, despite the treacherous four years we have lived through under the leadership of this Administration,” said Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (D-Brooklyn). “For the past four years, 45the President has represented a direct threat to this community, as a white supremacist who has surrounded himself with other individuals who share his bigoted and wicked ideology. But our community has not backed down—it’s not in our blood to do so. Immigrants and their children and grandchildren from every part of the world are not only the foundation of Brooklyn, but are the foundation of our great nation. As the child of immigrants, I have worked tirelessly in Congress to demonstrate a commitment to our immigrant brothers and sisters, by supporting comprehensive immigration reform.”
