García, Ocasio-Cortez, and Omar Lead Letter Calling on President Biden to Extend Marijuana Pardon to Immigrants
WASHINGTON , D.C. — Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (MN-05) led a letter to President Joe Biden asking his Administration to pardon all simple marijuana possession offenses, regardless of immigration status, and prioritize decriminalizing and rescheduling marijuana and reopening the immigration cases of those who were deported for marijuana-related offenses.
“We write to commend you on your administration’s decision to pardon thousands of people convicted of marijuana possession under federal law and to review how marijuana is classified in the United States,” the Members wrote. “The decision is an essential step for our country’s promise of justice for all. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that the Administration pardon all simple marijuana possession offenses – regardless of immigration status.”
“For immigrants whose lives have been upended for simple marijuana possession, a pardon is only the first step in allowing them to rebuild their lives. That is why we also urge you to prioritize decriminalizing and descheduling marijuana and reopening the immigration cases of those who were deported for marijuana-related offenses. These actions would restore the lives and dignity of thousands of migrants who were deported for conduct that is now legal in varying capacities across 41 states,” they added.
On October 6th, President Biden announced he was pardoning thousands of people convicted of simple marijuana possession. However, the pardon left thousands of immigrants vulnerable to the risk of deportation for simple marijuana possession.
Deportation not only upends the lives of those deported but also their families and communities. A study conducted by Syracuse University found that – between 2003 and 2018 – over 45,000 people were deported nationwide for simple marijuana possession. Continuing to deport immigrants for simple marijuana possession will only exacerbate racial disparities, traumatize families and communities vital to this country's fabric, and create ineffective legal regimes at taxpayers' expense.
You can read the full letter here.
Members who joined the letter include: Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Cori Bush (MO-01), Danny Davis (IL-07), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Jimmy Gomez (CA-37), Barbara Lee (CA-13), Marie Newman (IL-03), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Rashida Tlaib (MI-13), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Juan Vargas (CA-51), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NY-12).