Fixing the Broken Immigration System
We envision a future in which countries, including the United States, work to facilitate and safeguard individuals’ freedom of movement in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The contemporary American immigration system prohibits and encumbers the free movement of people––even those facing the most dire circumstances in their countries of origin. The United States has not lived up to the narrative that it accepts all people from all communities and countries across the world. Given the fact that the United States has played--and continues to play--an outsized role in creating instability across the globe, we must be willing to play an essential role in resettlement efforts. It is time to create an immigration system that enables a smooth transition to living in the United States and protects the safety and dignity of every individual seeking entry whether they are visiting, seeking employment, or fleeing violence and persecution.
The United States should:
Immediately end family separation and close all concentration camps located within the United States.
Dismantle Immigration and Customs Enforcement––an unnecessary, unaccountable, and cruel agency that has only existed since 2003 and preys upon the most vulnerable members of society.
Decriminalize attempts to cross the US border, and end migrant detention. This will promote safe border crossings, rather than incentivizing people to venture through dangerous territory.
Establish a pathway to citizenship for all undocumented people, and ensure that undocumented people are legally protected so that they are not forced into labor.
Recognize that individuals fleeing deteriorating climate conditions are refugees––not migrants––and should therefore be afforded the same rights as refugees.
Ensure that those who enlisted in the US military as a pathway to citizenship are actually able to become US citizens. The current system has betrayed these individuals by making the already complicated process even more stringent, and actually denying military members' applications at a higher rate than civilians. While we question the morality of continuing to use the US military as an incentive for citizenship, in the short term these individuals should still be granted what was initially promised to them.
Ensure that foreign citizens who aided US troops during wartime are able to obtain citizenship, as promised. These individuals often wait years for their visas while they and their families remain in danger, due to their cooperation with US troops.
End the illegal practice of forcing asylum applicants to wait for rulings on their cases outside the United States.
Allow naturalized citizens to apply for citizenship for all family members, not just their parents and children.
Shorten the length of time that one is required to be a green card holder in order to apply for US citizenship.