March 18, 2021

Rep. Lawson Votes to Pass Two Historic Immigration Bills

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Al Lawson (FL-05) voted to pass H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act, and H.R. 1603, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, two landmark pieces of legislation to modernize and reform the immigration system and secure permanent protections and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. The American Dream and Promise Act provides relief to DREAMers, as well as to many Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) holders. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act provides stability, predictability and fairness to the workers who feed America.

“In Florida and across the country, our immigrant communities make America more American,” Rep. Lawson said. “The people of Florida want solutions to our broken immigration system that honor our values, keep Americans safe and protect the farmworkers, Dreamers, and TPS and DED recipients who have long been a vital part of our communities and our economy. In light of the pandemic and economic crisis, which have inflicted a devastating toll on immigrant communities and our essential frontline workers, including our farmworkers, the protections in these bills are urgently needed.  I am proud to join my colleagues to pass these historic, commonsense and overwhelmingly popular bills that ensure our proud immigrant communities can continue to pursue their American dream as they strengthen, enrich and contribute to our nation.” 

The American Dream and Promise Act – establishes a path to lawful permanent resident (LPR) status for Dreamers and for certain individuals who either held or were eligible for TPS or DED.  The majority of these individuals have been in the United States for much of their lives, often with work authorization and temporary protections against deportation. Five years after attaining full LPR status, individuals are then eligible to apply for citizenship, a path that is supported by nearly 75 percent of the American public.  H.R. 6 promotes justice and fairness for our nation’s Dreamers, and for the TPS and DED holders who fled ongoing armed conflict and other extraordinary conditions to come to this country and who have been contributing to our economy and our communities for years and are employed at high rates in industries that often struggle to find sufficient U.S. workers. 

The Farm Workforce Modernization Act – stabilizes the agricultural sector and preserves our rural heritage by ensuring that farmers can meet their labor needs by establishing a program for agricultural workers, their spouses and minor children can earn legal Certified Agricultural Worker (CAW) status through continued agricultural employment.  H.R. 1603 also reforms the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program to provide more flexibility for employers, while ensuring critical protections for workers.  And to ensure a legal workforce for the agriculture sector, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act establishes a mandatory, nationwide E-Verify system to ensure compliance with the reformed H-2A visa program while also protecting workers’ due process rights.  

“I will continue to work with my colleagues and the Biden-Harris Administration to build on this momentum with additional action to make our immigration system more fair, orderly and humane,” Rep. Lawson said.

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