Nearly one year ago on June 26, 2013, the day before the Senate passed the “Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013” (S. 744), my friend Otts received life-altering news: the Supreme Court of the United States struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Otts is gay, but he’s also an immigrant, which made this decision particularly special for him. Although Otts’ home state of Washington had voted to support marriage equality in 2012, his U.S. citizen husband could not sponsor him for permanent status until either marriage equality or immigration reform was addressed at the federal level.
366 days after DOMA’s demise, Otts has married his longtime partner and swapped his work visa for a green card. Otts no longer has to fear being torn from the life he’s built in the United States over the past two decades.
Over the last year, my colleagues and I have devoted our efforts to bring the same happy ending to 11 million aspiring Americans. Because leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives never brought S. 744 to a vote and no other comprehensive legislation took its place, many people are still in limbo waiting for an opportunity to obtain permanent legal status. Although S. 744 wasn’t perfect, it marked an historic step forward to reform our nation’s broken immigration system by: creating a roadmap to citizenship for 11 million aspiring Americans, providing appointed counsel for children and other vulnerable populations, and reducing immigration detention and expanding the use of alternatives to detention (among other important measures).
Today marks the one year anniversary of the passage of S. 744 and today’s reality is a stark contrast to the excitement we felt one year ago. 1,100 families continue to be torn apart every single day by detention and deportation, and the Obama administration has announced the opening of a 700-bed facility in Artesia, New Mexico to detain immigrant families. Meanwhile, the House has spent the last year voting to eliminate the president’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that has allowed thousands of young Americans to study, work, and serve our nation in the U.S. military; and it has authorized spending millions to lock up and deport hardworking men and women who only wish to stay in the country with their families. These policies are not solutions.
If the House of Representatives is serious about leading our country forward, it must immediately address immigration reform through commonsense legislation that reflects the United States’ commitment to protecting families and honoring our heritage as a democracy founded on the ideals of human rights and fairness. President Obama also has a moral responsibility to ensure that not more families are torn apart.
While we’re not in the place we wanted to be a year ago, we’re not giving up. My colleagues and I, along with the entire immigration reform movement, will spend this next year fighting for justice and a shot at citizenship for all immigrants.
Jennifer Chan is the associate director of policy at Heartland Alliance's National Immigrant Justice Center.