NILC and NILC Immigrant Justice Fund Statement on Immigration Executive Orders Issued by Newly Inaugurated President Biden

WASHINGTON — Upon the inauguration of Joe Biden as 46th president of the United States and the subsequent issuing of executive orders and announcement of proposed legislation addressing immigration policy, Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) and the NILC Immigrant Justice Fund, issued the following statement:

“The inauguration of President Joseph R. Biden and Vice President Kamala D. Harris marks a new day for our country and for our shared humanity. We at the National Immigration Law Center are celebrating with renewed hope and resolve to continue working toward a more just, inclusive, and equitable society, where all of us have the freedom to thrive. We are encouraged by the Biden administration’s commitment to improving the lives of immigrants, which was demonstrated today with decisive actions on his first day in office.

“President Biden is fulfilling a campaign promise to restore hope and stability through DACA to more than a million immigrant youth who call this country home. We celebrate this hard-fought victory alongside our courageous plaintiffs, partners, and communities, who over the years have fought, all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, repeated attempts to end this transformative policy. We remain committed to working toward a permanent solution for immigrant youth and all immigrants whose home is here until they have a path to U.S. citizenship.

“On the day the first Muslim ban was issued, NILC was on the ground working with affected individuals. As thousands of people flocked to airports to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with their Muslim neighbors, we successfully filed the first lawsuit to challenge and block its implementation that same weekend, which was the first of many of our legal victories over the last four years. Now, President Biden, in keeping with his campaign promise, has rescinded the Muslim ban and, in doing so, has helped our nation take an important step in reclaiming our role as a beacon of hope for all seeking a better life.

“This moment was made possible by the hard work and leadership of a multiracial and multigenerational coalition of voters who resoundingly and decisively rejected the hatred and division of the last four years. The Biden administration now has the mandate and the political power to transform our nation’s immigration policies while undoing four years of destructive and harmful actions.

“We look forward to our ongoing partnership with the Biden administration to implement a boldly pro-immigrant agenda, which must include a pathway to citizenship for 11 million undocumented people who call this country home and immediate financial relief, access to health care, and other support for all families struggling under the weight of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Finally, for our collective well-being, we must recognize that there is no economic or public health recovery without immigrants. Immigrants have played an essential role at the forefront of this pandemic, and must be included in economic relief and in access to health care and vaccines. We’re optimistic that this is something the Biden administration understands and will work to address within its first hundred days in office.

“As we celebrate today’s victories, we are mindful of all the pain, suffering, and loss we have collectively experienced under the last administration, and we remain resolute to doing our part to help our country heal, rebuild, and achieve justice and equity.”

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