AILA Summaries of STRIVE Act

The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) enthusiastically welcomes today’s unveiling of the STRIVE Act, a bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill introduced by Representatives Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and other leading House Democrats and Republicans. “Introduction of this important bill creates a launching pad for the legislative process to take flight. Never has the need for a comprehensive overhaul of our system been more urgent and never has the legislative opportunity been so great,” said Marshall Fitz, AILA Director of Advocacy. AILA believes that we are far beyond the point where a piecemeal approach to fixing our immigration system represents a viable solution. The daunting immigration policy challenge confronting our country requires a bold, comprehensive approach like the one reflected in the STRIVE Act. “I believe this legislation contains the policy architecture needed to restore the integrity of our immigration system. It is both tough and fair and strikes the right balance between protecting our security, strengthening our economy, and treating people fairly and humanely,” remarked Carlina Tapia-Ruano, President of AILA. AILA maintains that to succeed in overcoming the chaos that characterizes the system today and restoring the rule of law, any serious legislative package must include: a new, flexible worker program to channel current migration flows into legal avenues, a tough but realistic path for undocumented workers to earn legal status, elimination of the unconscionable backlogs in family immigration, strong border security and worksite enforcement measures, and the restoration of basic legal protections for all non-citizens in this country. “We urge the leaders on both sides of the aisle in both chambers of Congress to push beyond politics as usual and seize this historic opportunity. The status quo is failing American communities, businesses, and families and the American public is thirsting for a solution that this Congress and this President can and must deliver,” said Tapia-Ruano. “The alternative – more suffering, more insecurity, more economic uncertainty, and more division – is untenable. I fervently hope that today’s introduction of the STRIVE Act marks the beginning of the end of this failure.”

Here are two AILA summaries of the STRIVE Act. Download STRIVE_Act_Longer_Summary.pdf  Download STRIVE_Act_Shorter_Summary.pdf

KJ