December 12, 2022
Dear members of Nebraska’s Congressional delegation,
As Nebraska community, business, health, education, agriculture, civic, and faith organizations and leaders from across the state, we urgently call on Nebraska’s members of Congress to take action for positive immigration laws before the end of the year — in order to create stability for longtime community members, loved ones, employers, and whole communities.
Immigrant Nebraskans are part of the fabric of local communities, families, and economies. Yet many who have been contributing for decades – including Nebraska Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status residents, and other longtime community members — have no way to apply for residency and citizenship until Congress fixes our outdated immigration laws.
It has been more than 35 years since Congress has taken meaningful action for positive immigration laws to keep families together and create stability for local communities. Many of our organizations have been meeting with your offices for over a decade on this issue.
We urge your support and action to pass long-overdue, long-term solutions like the Renewing Immigration Provisions of the Immigration Act of 1929 (H.R.8433, S.4974) and the Dream and Promise Act (H.R.6) before the end of the year.
Nebraska can’t afford to lose valuable members of our communities who every day contribute their talents as teachers, health care providers, agricultural and manufacturing workers, small business owners, parents, friends, and neighbors. Every day, outdated laws cause very real and unnecessary harm. Nebraska communities, schools, and workplaces face constant uncertainty because a part of our Nebraska family has no way to apply for permanent residency, and we once again face harmful upheaval with a potential end to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and to Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations.
Congress has an important opportunity to pass these very simple pieces of legislation, each rooted in a long history of bipartisan support. In accordance with strong, statewide community support for practical policies that move us forward, we urge you to work quickly and proactively to advance these critical bills.
Sincerely,
ACLU of Nebraska
Asian Community & Cultural Center
Brown Immigration Law P.C., L.L.O
Center for Legal Immigration Assistance
Centro Hispano (Columbus)
College of St. Mary
Empowering Families (Scottsbluff)
Great Plains Rapid Response Immigration Team
Greater Omaha Chamber
Heartland Workers Center
Immigrant Legal Center
Inclusive Communities
LAS VOCES-NEBRASKA
League of Women Voters of Lincoln and Lancaster County
League of Women Voters of Nebraska
Lincoln Branch NAACP
Lutheran Family Services
Mothers and Others, Justice and Mercy for Immigrants
Multicultural Coalition (Grand Island)
Nebraska Appleseed
Nebraska Cattlemen
Nebraska Hospital Association
Nebraska State AFL-CIO
Nebraska State Education Association
Omaha Together One Community
OneWorld Community Health Centers
Peace with Justice Ministries, Great Plains Conference of The United Methodist Church
Schlegel Center for Service and Justice at Creighton University
Sisters of Mercy in Nebraska
SOMOSgi (Grand Island)
United by Culture Media
Unity in Action (South Sioux City)
Voices for Children in Nebraska
Women’s Fund of Omaha
YWCA Adams County
YWCA Lincoln
Download the letter here.