A Year of Inaction: Heinrich Statement on Immigration Reform

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 27, 2014) - Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) released the following statement calling on House Republicans to act on the Senate bipartisan immigration reform bill that passed the Senate one year ago.

"After a vigorous public debate last year, the Senate passed a common-sense proposal to reform our country's immigration policies. The bill would modernize our immigration system to meet the needs of our economy, provide an accountable pathway to earned citizenship for the undocumented workers currently living in the shadows, and dramatically strengthen security at our borders.

"But here we are a year later, and House Republicans are still unwilling to act. Now things are urgent. Public support and good economics have not been enough to convince Republican leaders to hold a vote on immigration reform, but they can't turn a blind eye to the current humanitarian crisis along our nation's southern border.

"The surge of unaccompanied children from Central America crossing into the United States is of great concern to all of us. Many of these kids become victims of violent crime or abuse. Often, they're targeted by criminal networks who prey on them by making empty promises to reunite them with their relatives in the United States. If House Republicans want to help solve this crisis and make our policies crystal clear, they would pass the Senate's bipartisan immigration bill.

"House Republicans' unwillingness to address our broken immigration system is unacceptable. Each day House Republicans fail to act on immigration reform is also another day our nation and the economy suffer. The Senate has given House Republicans every reason to debate and pass accountable immigration reform. I urge House Republican leaders to allow a vote on the Senate bill as soon as they reconvene after the July 4th holiday. Our families and our economy will be better for it."