Reps. García, Pressley, Casar Re-introduce the New Way Forward Act

WASHINGTON, DC -  Today Representatives Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), and Greg Casar (TX-35) and 27 Members of Congress, alongside more than 300 advocacy organizations and community leaders, reintroduced the New Way Forward Act, a landmark piece of legislation that addresses some of the most harmful provisions of immigration law that drive racist enforcement practices, expanded incarceration in immigration detention centers, and unjust deportations.

The New Way Forward Act re-envisions our nation’s severely flawed and racist immigration system. The bill restores the principles of due process and compassion to our immigration system and provides a way for individuals who were unjustly deported to have the opportunity to reunite with their families. It decouples immigration laws from the racist criminal justice system and ultimately reduces mass incarceration.

“The New Way Forward Act gives us a historic opportunity to end the criminalization of our immigrant neighbors. It charts a new course for immigration in our country, away from Clinton-era immigration laws that were rooted in mass incarceration and racism towards policy rooted in justice and compassion,” said Rep. García. “Too many families in Chicago and across our country know the pain of being ripped away from loved ones who are jailed and deported. It's time we chart a New Way Forward so that all immigrants are treated with the full dignity and respect we all deserve.”

“Our immigration and criminal in-justice systems are deeply intertwined and have contributed to our nation’s shameful mass incarceration crisis that has separated families and harmed our communities for generations,” said Rep. Pressley. “We must fundamentally reimagine these racist systems that have weaponized our immigration policies against Black and brown migrants. I am proud to partner with Reps. García, Casar and our colleagues to reintroduce the New Way Forward Act, necessary legislationto codify compassion, dignity, fairness, and due process in our immigration laws and help us build an immigration system that centers the humanity of our immigrant neighbors.”

“Caging millions of immigrant families has always been wrong, and it doesn’t even help resolve the humanitarian crisis at our border. Trump demonstrated that very clearly,” said Rep. Casar. “The New Way Forward Act is actually returning us to our nation’s roots, recognizing that when migrants come to our borders or shores, we can accept them and all be better off for it. Immigrants make our nation better, our state better, and our communities better, and I’m proud to offer this New Way Forward for a country where we truly respect immigrants.”

The New Way Forward Act:

• Ends mandatory detention
• Restores judicial discretion and ends certain summary deportations
• Limits the criminal legal system-to-deportation pipeline
• Ends racist laws used as the basis for family separation, that funnel immigrants into federal prosecution
• Implements a five-year statute of limitations for removal based on old criminal convictions
• Ends entanglements between federal immigration enforcement and local law enforcement
• Creates an opportunity to come home for people unjustly deported

Quotes from endorsing organizations can be found here.

Text of the billcan be found here.

You can find more background on The New Way Forward Acthere.

Additionally, you can find a section-by section document of the bill here.

Photos from the press conference can be found here.

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