Immigrant Rights

At The Leadership Conference, we believe America is made better by immigrants. America is made stronger by families who lay down new roots here, by refugees who find new lives and freedoms here, by employees who bring new energy and ideas. And America is made brighter by all who choose to call this country home.

But for decades, our immigration policies have failed us. Our system for allocating visas is woefully inadequate, forcing many would-be immigrants to wait in line for years or even decades and driving many others to come through dangerous, unregulated channels.

Instead of reforming the system to keep up with demand and grow our economy, Congress and the executive branch persistently respond through new harsh and inhumane enforcement measures — separating immigrant children from their parents, creating fast-track deportation systems that lead to more mistakes, putting more people in for-profit immigration jails, or simply creating humanitarian crises across the border.

We support immigration reform that includes more paths to citizenship for longtime immigrants, fair and humane enforcement that is consistent with our values, family reunification, and strong civil rights protections for new working immigrants as well as for people who have been here all their lives.

When opponents of immigration reform try to stir up economic fears to pit communities of color against each other, or when they openly advance racist ideologies and conspiracy theories, our coalition will continue speaking out and pushing back. We will continue to protect our most vulnerable communities and demand a home for everyone here in our nation — a nation founded by refugees, immigrants, and those seeking religious freedom.

Priority areas

• Create more pathways to citizenship for longtime immigrants
• Promote fair and humane enforcement strategies that are consistent with our values
• Instill strong civil rights and labor protections for all workers
• Protect refugees, asylum seekers, and other people seeking safety
• Reunite families