Reform Laws: Legal Momentum Immigrant Women Program's Statement of Principles regarding Comprehensive Immigration Reform

There are approximately 3 million undocumented women and 1.7 million undocumented children in the U.S. These women are filling essential gaps in the labor market while enduring workplace exploitation, sexual harassment, low wages, and poor working conditions. These women are also filling essential gaps in U.S. families by working as our children's nannies, our elderly parents' caregivers, our gardeners. These women live in the shadows of U.S. society, many of whom are subject to violent crimes inside and outside their homes but cannot report these crimes to the police for fear of being deported. While forced to live in the shadows of society, these women remain physically separated from their children and family members living abroad. Desperate to be reunified with their families in the U.S., increasing numbers of immigrants are risking their lives to be smuggled into the U.S. The number of border deaths has increased dramatically, now reaching nearly one death per day. International traffickers, keenly aware of the broken U.S. immigration system, have exploited this situation by trafficking more and more immigrants into the U.S. each year.
In recognition of the need to reform the broken U.S. immigration system, Legal Momentum's Immigrant Women Program ("IWP") is working with women's groups, feminist organizations, college campuses, domestic violence service providers, sexual assault service providers, and trafficking service providers across the U.S. to support federal legislation powered by coordinated grassroots activities that incorporates the following key principles for immigration reform

  • Comprehensive Immigration Reform Must Cover Undocumented Immigrant Men, Women, and Children
  • Immigration Reform Must Provide a Path to U.S. Citizenship
  • Immigration Reform Must Create Legal Channels for Workers to Fill Future U.S. Jobs
  • Immigration Reform Must Protect All Workers
  • Immigration Reform Must Reduce Family Immigration Backlogs
IWP's principles regarding comprehensive immigration reform
  • 1) Comprehensive Immigration Reform Must Cover Undocumented Immigrant Men, Women, and Children: Federal legislation must provide legal safe immigration options for undocumented men, women, and children including those who do not work outside their homes.
  • 2) Immigration Reform Must Provide a Path to U.S. Citizenship: Undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. should receive work permits, permission to travel internationally, and access to higher education and federal financial aid. Those who want to settle permanently in the U.S. should be given the opportunity to pursue permanent residency and naturalization.
  • 3) Immigration Reform Must Create Legal Channels for Workers to Fill Future U.S. Jobs. The current immigration system is out of step with the needs of the U.S. economy. Federal legislation must create legal channels for workers to fill future U.S. jobs. These workers and their spouses should receive work permits and permission to travel internationally.
  • 4) Immigration Reform Must Protect All Workers: To prevent exploitation and abuse in the workplace, Congress must pass federal legislation that provides fair wages and safe working conditions for all workers. Workers should be allowed to change jobs and to pursue permanent residency.
  • 5) Immigration Reform Must Reduce Family Immigration Backlogs: One of the main factors driving migration to the U.S. is family unity. Millions of U.S. families are permanently separated from their family members abroad due to restrictive immigration laws and bureaucratic delays. Those family members abroad currently remain in immigrant visa backlogs for many years, as they desperately wait to be reunited with their families in the U.S. Those family members trapped in backlogs should have their immigrant visas expedited.

IWP invites all interested groups or individuals to work towards comprehensive immigration reform through coordinated legislative and grassroots activities. For more information Please contact:
Joanne Lin
IWP senior staff attorney
jlin@legalmomentum.org
(202) 326-0040

For additional information: