HIAS
– the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society – is extremely disappointed in the
Senate’s failure to move forward with a comprehensive immigration bill
that would have helped millions of immigrants and their families.
Giving way to partisan politics, the Senate blocked an opportunity to
change the status quo of illegality, exploitation, and human suffering.
Instead of delivering a real solution, the Senate delivered a huge blow
to making progress.

While we are deeply disappointed
that so many of our elected officials chose to oppose moving forward
with legislation that would have benefited so many hardworking
immigrant families in this country and provided an orderly pathway for
others to come, we applaud those Senators who voted to keep the debate
alive, and therefore, the opportunity to improve the legislation in the
House of Representatives. We commend those Senators for choosing
leadership and courage to restore greatness to America’s tradition of
being a welcoming nation.

HIAS has consistently urged Congress to adopt comprehensive immigration
reform that: offers a path to citizenship to the estimated 12 million
undocumented immigrants living in the shadows; creates wider legal
channels for future workers and worker protections; reunites families;
and includes enforcement and border security measures that are
meaningful, effective, and humane. Since the first Jewish immigrants
arrived in America three hundred and fifty years ago, the Jewish
community understands well what it means to come to this country to
seek freedom and opportunity and be with family members. This
generation of immigrants must not be denied that same opportunity.

The Jewish community also knows better than many that strong
enforcement and border security policy is in our national interest and
must be a priority. At the same time, the security of the United States
can only be enhanced with comprehensive reform that combines effective
and targeted enforcement policies with future worker and legalization
programs that are workable and fair. Attempts to tighten enforcement
while providing legal opportunities for the current undocumented
immigrant population and future flows of immigrant workers will allow
the best targeting of enforcement resources on those migrants who pose
the greatest danger of terrorist or criminal connections rather than
maintaining the current situation where immigration agents are forced
to waste resources chasing busboys and nannies. It is also critical
that our approach to enforcement must be one that respects the dignity
of human rights and life.

HIAS will continue to make this a high priority and push for
comprehensive immigration reform that will, once and for all, repair
our broken system in way that our nation wants and deserves. Without
action from our elected officials in Congress, we are left with the
status quo of migrant deaths in the desert, sweeping raids in the
workplace that separate families and displace essential workers,
prolonged waits for family reunification, and a chaotic and inhumane
immigration and enforcement policy. This is not the answer. And to be
sure, today’s status quo will not be tomorrow’s. With each day that
passes without comprehensive immigration reform, the status quo will
worsen. More families will be kept apart. More immigrants will be
desperate to come to this country without safety. More immigrants will
live with fear and without the opportunity to become a part of American
society. We call on Congress and the Administration to put aside
politics and do what’s right for this country. We must continue toward
a solution that is practical and fair.