New York, NY, June 27, 2013 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today welcomed the Senate’s passage of S. 744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, calling it “a very important step” toward fixing the nation’s broken immigration system.
The Senate voted 68 to 32 in favor of the bill, which would create a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants already contributing to American society, expand border security, and reform the legal immigration system.
ADL urged the House of Representatives to act swiftly to pass comprehensive immigration reform on the basis of the Senate proposal which combines border enforcement with a meaningful path to legalization for millions of undocumented immigrants.
Barry Curtiss-Lusher, ADL National Chair, and Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement:
The Senate has set aside partisan differences to bring us one step closer to enactment of meaningful immigration reform. For much too long, our broken immigration system has failed immigrant communities, families torn apart by visa backlogs and undocumented students. Indeed, it has failed all communities, all families, and all children who deserve a future that embraces diversity and equal access to the American dream.
We salute the members of the bipartisan “Gang of Eight” Senators who worked collaboratively and tirelessly on this very important step toward reform. We urge the House to follow the Senate’s lead and pass an immigration reform bill that rejects the failed enforcement-only approach and honors our values as a nation of immigrants.
ADL has advocated for fair and humane immigration policies since its founding in 1913 and has helped expose the anti-immigrant bigotry and hatred that has been an undercurrent of the immigration debate in the past few years.
The Gang of Eight includes Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), John McCain (R-AZ), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ).