NBC: Padilla proposes pathway to citizenship and legal status
By Alicia Victoria Lozano
Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., today announced an immigration bill that would broaden pathways to obtain legal status and citizenship for longtime residents of the U.S, including “Dreamers,” highly skilled workers and people with Temporary Protected Status.
The bill, called the Renewing Immigration Provisions of the Immigration Act of 1929, would make immigrants who have been living in the United States continuously for at least seven years eligible for permanent legal status. This would update an existing statute that was last amended in 1986, which set the cut off date for eligibility at 1972.
It would also provide a pathway for “Dreamers” and people with H-1B work visas to obtain green cards.
Padilla proposes pathway to citizenship and legal status, continued
Padilla first introduced the bill in 2022 but it never got passed the Judiciary Committee. A version was introduced in the House by Rep. Zoe Lofgren and similarly languished in committee. Both versions will be reintroduced Monday, Padilla said.
“We believe this is the first step,” he said, adding that changing public opinion is the key ingredient this time.
According to a recent Gallup poll, 79% of Americans say immigration is a good thing compared to 64% in 2024. Support for allowing undocumented immigrants to become U.S. citizens has increased to 78% compared to 70% last year.
“What we’re seeing in practice is not what people signed up for,” he said of Trump’s immigration directives. “The overreach, how extreme and cruel the administration has become about immigration enforcement, has shifted public opinion about Donald Trump and his policies.”
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