Immigration Reform Must Be Won By Organizing For Elections 
Old Senate Rules Are Not The Way Forward

It is not surprising that the US Senate Parliamentarian ruled that comprehensive immigration reform does not fit within the Byrd Rule for budget reconciliation. We should not make ourselves dependent on obscure US Senate rule change or executive action for our liberation. In our republic, changes to law are decided by Congress or, when that fails, the removal of those opposed and replacement with a pro-reform supermajority. We need organizers committed to building great progressive coalitions capable of electing super majorities to congress for immigration reform.

Throughout this nation’s history, those who did not have equality and their allies have organized voters to support their cause. Just as abolitionists, suffragettes, civil rights, gay rights, youth rights organizers needed to organize voters, so do immigrant community organizers. The New Deal, the Great Society, and other reforms passed without need of budget reconciliation at a time when 67 US Senators were needed to call for cloture; now we need 60.

Migrant advocates in US House MN District 2 are organizing voters in support of Comprehensive Immigration Reform. On September 16 they made a call for migrant community faith, business, civic groups and law enforcement to push for voter registration, mobilization, and opposition accountability. 

Adriana Cerrillo, CIR Now organizer, put it this way “To pass immigration reform our community needs to overcome those opposed to it and elect a pro-reform super majority to Congress. Even when reform passes, we need to remain organized to ensure that those opposed to our rights are not elected to govern us. Georgia faced anti-immigrant politics in 2020 and responded with voter registration, mobilization, and accountability organizing by leaders like Stacey Abrams. That is the future of progressive organizing and that is needed in swing states and districts now.”