To: The United States House of Representatives and The United States Senate
In Support of Immigration, Families & Diversity
We urge you not to give into far right, nativist approaches to immigration and to oppose proposals to cut the number of green cards issued in general, and family-based visas and diversity visas in particular. We value diversity and inclusion and we know that immigrants and refugees make America better.
Why is this important?
The White House and several U.S. Senators and Members of Congress have proposed to terminate our family-immigration system, the diversity visa program and severely limit the number of refugees allowed in the U.S thereby reducing the annual number of immigrants granted lawful permanent residence in the U.S. by more than 50%.
The over 43 million immigrants living in the U.S. are the backbone and multi-ethnic fiber of our communities giving our country competitive advantage while providing economic opportunities, freedom, safety, and stability to many who need it most. The majority of these immigrants came through our family-based immigration system. Americans hold family in the highest regard. Labels such as “chain migration” and “merit-based” dismiss the “family” altogether. These labels also seek to mask the real goals of these policies which is to phase out the number of diverse immigrants granted permanent resident status and eventual citizenship.
The Diversity Visa Program allows for 50,000 permanent residency visas annually. The Diversity Visa Program, has become an integral pathway to lawful permanent residency as well as ensuring equitable migration from nations and regions with low migration rates to the U.S. In FY 2014, 22,703 Africans, 8,500 Asians, and 1,474 people from Latin America and the Caribbean were admitted into the U.S. as part of the yearly allotment of Diversity Visas.
Many thriving and diverse communities in the U.S. would not exist without these immigration pathways.
The over 43 million immigrants living in the U.S. are the backbone and multi-ethnic fiber of our communities giving our country competitive advantage while providing economic opportunities, freedom, safety, and stability to many who need it most. The majority of these immigrants came through our family-based immigration system. Americans hold family in the highest regard. Labels such as “chain migration” and “merit-based” dismiss the “family” altogether. These labels also seek to mask the real goals of these policies which is to phase out the number of diverse immigrants granted permanent resident status and eventual citizenship.
The Diversity Visa Program allows for 50,000 permanent residency visas annually. The Diversity Visa Program, has become an integral pathway to lawful permanent residency as well as ensuring equitable migration from nations and regions with low migration rates to the U.S. In FY 2014, 22,703 Africans, 8,500 Asians, and 1,474 people from Latin America and the Caribbean were admitted into the U.S. as part of the yearly allotment of Diversity Visas.
Many thriving and diverse communities in the U.S. would not exist without these immigration pathways.