Senator Murray Statement on Path Forward for Immigration Reform

Sen. Murray: “We need to look at every legislative path possible to get comprehensive immigration reform done – including through reconciliation.”

Washington, D.C. – Today U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) issued the following statement reiterating her longstanding support for comprehensive immigration reform and the need to explore every legislative path—including reconciliation—to fix our country’s broken immigration system.  

“Immigrants are an important part of communities in Washington state and around the country, making valuable contributions to both our heritage and our economy. But because of our country’s broken immigration system, men, women, and children are forced to live in the shadows as Americans in all but name. Families and businesses alike are trapped in a broken system that isn’t working for anyone.

“I have long believed that the way to fix this is to adopt comprehensive immigration reform legislation that offers a fair pathway to citizenship for the more than 11 million undocumented residents living here—including DREAMers, farmworkers, those with temporary protected status, and the many essential, undocumented workers who do so much to keep our country running, especially during the pandemic. Through comprehensive immigration reform we can preserve our national security, strengthen economic growth and competitiveness, and most importantly, offer certainty and opportunity to our friends, neighbors, and co-workers who’ve been left without answers for far too long.

“After years of working to reach agreement on a solution, it’s clear to me we can’t miss the opportunity to act in this critical moment. We need to look at every legislative path possible to get comprehensive immigration reform done – including through reconciliation. It is past time for action to build a humane and compassionate immigration system – one that reflects our values, strengthens our economy, and creates a fair pathway to citizenship for every person willing to work hard at the American dream. Let’s get this done.”

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