ACLU Statement on the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021

WASHINGTON — The following is a statement from Naureen Shah, senior advocacy and policy counsel for the ACLU, regarding the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, which was introduced in the House today:

“The U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 is evidence that President Biden hears the resounding mandate of the election: American voters support our immigrant communities and want serious reform of our broken system. This legislation provides one of the most far-reaching pathways to citizenship and legal residency in recent history.

“We are hopeful but know that we must fight to ensure that Congress passes legislation that does not import the wrongs of the broken and racist criminal legal system, nor lead to more wasteful funding for technology at the border that would undermine everyone’s right to privacy. We can achieve true justice for immigrants without sacrificing civil liberties. We urge Congress to act swiftly and pass citizenship legislation, without harmful border and enforcement tradeoffs that waste taxpayer dollars and inflict injustices on immigrants and our communities.”