Washington – The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee today approved an amendment sponsored by Senators Al Franken (D-Minn.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) to strengthen protections for children in the Senate “Gang of 8” comprehensive immigration reform bill (S. 744). The amendment was cosponsored by Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), Democratic Senators Chris Coons (Del.), Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), and Mazie Hirono (Hawaii), and by Republican Senators John Cornyn (Texas) and Ted Cruz (Texas). The Franken-Grassley amendment would keep families together whenever possible and help mitigate harm to children, including preventing children from entering foster care when immigration enforcement results in the detention or removal of their parents. Specific Humane Enforcement and Legal Protections for Separated Children Act (“HELP” Separated Children Act) provisions would:

• Allow parents affected by immigration enforcement to make calls to arrange for the care of their children;

• Ensure that children can call or visit their parents while they are detained;

• Allow parents to participate in state child welfare agency and family court proceedings affecting their children;

• Ensure that parents being removed from or voluntarily departing the United States can coordinate their repatriation with their children;

• Require immigration officials to consider the best interests of children in detention, release, and transfer decisions affecting their parents; and

• Provide training for immigration and detention facility personnel on best practices for protecting children.

The amendment was passed on a unanimous recorded vote of 18-0. In response, First Focus Campaign for Children President Bruce Lesley released the following statement:

“Immigration enforcement tears children and parents apart. But the bipartisan Franken-Grassley amendment helps protect kids and keeps families together. The Franken-Grassley amendment will let immigration officials focus on law enforcement, state child welfare agencies focus scarce resources where they’re most needed, and give kids a better chance at staying with their families.”

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The First Focus Campaign for Children is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization affiliated with First Focus, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization. The Campaign for Children advocates directly for legislative change in Congress to ensure children and families are the priority in federal policy and budget decisions. For more information, visit www.ffcampaignforchildren.org.

Washington – The First Focus Campaign for Children sent a letter today, urging members of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee to oppose amendments that would discourage parents from seeking health care or food for their children. The letter cautioned that such amendments would adversely affect children’s immigration status eligibility based on their receipt of health care through Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or their receipt of food through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

“Food and health care are children’s most basic needs, and Congress should be making it easier for children, not creating more red tape,” said Campaign for Children President Bruce Lesley.

Several senators have filed amendments to the immigration reform bill (S. 744) that would compromise children’s immigration status eligibility by changing the immigration law’s definition of “public charge.” Specifically:

• Amendment 10 by Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) would alter the long-standing “public charge” test, which applicants for immigration benefits must pass, by specifying that children and others seeking a path to citizenship would be denied if they had received health care through Medicaid or food through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP);

• Amendment 25 by Sen. Sessions would make children and other applicants ineligible for registered provisional immigrant (RPI) status if they are “likely” in the future to get health care through the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) or Medicaid, or to get food through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP);

• Amendment 26 by Sen. Sessions would make children and other applicants ineligible for lawful permanent resident (LPR) status if they are “likely” in the future to get health care through the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicaid, or health care affordability tax credits under the Affordable Care Act;

• Amendment 27 by Sen. Sessions would make children and other applicants ineligible for LPR status if they are “likely” in the future to get health care through the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicaid, or health care affordability tax credits under the Affordable Care Act, disability assistance through Supplemental Security Income, or to get food through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP);

• Amendment 28 by Sen. Sessions would make children and other applicants ineligible for LPR status if they are “likely” in the future to get state-sponsored, means-tested benefits of any sort, or a range of federal health benefits, including health care through the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicaid, or health care affordability tax credits under the Affordable Care Act, or to get food through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP);

• Amendment 5 by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) would increase the bill’s income requirement for children and other applicants for extension of RPI from an average of 100 percent of the federal poverty level applicable to their family to 125 percent of that level;

“CHIP, SNAP, and Medicaid are lifelines for kids, and a vote for these amendments is a vote to cut those lifelines,” said Lesley.

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The First Focus Campaign for Children is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization affiliated with First Focus, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization. The Campaign for Children advocates directly for legislative change in Congress to ensure children and families are the priority in federal policy and budget decisions. For more information, visit www.ffcampaignforchildren.org.

A letter from FFCC president Bruce Lesley urging members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to reject amendments to S.744 that redefine or alter the application of “public charge” in a way that negatively impacts children.

The First Focus Campaign for Children is committed to advocating for passage of immigration reform that addresses the specific needs and interests of children. On April 17, 2013, the bipartisan Senate “Gang of Eight” introduced the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act (S.744). While the bill as currently drafted represents a historic step forward for children in immigrant families, the bill also falls short of protecting the rights of children and families and ensuring access to critical safety net programs. On May 9, 2013 the Senate Judiciary Committee began markup of S.744, and the following is a list of amendments that FFCC has determined could positively or negatively impact children and families. S.744 was passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 21, 2013 on a 13-5 vote. The following amendments were filed, and those that were considered and adopted or rejected are noted.

Positive Amendments

Title I

• Feinstein 6: Requires Customs and Border Patrol to adopt standards for treatment of children in custody (passed by SJC 5/9)
• Hirono 23: Provides protections for families, including those with children, apprehended at the border (passed by SJC 5/9)

Title II

• Blumenthal 1: “Little Dreamers” permits children to adjust to lawfully permanent resident (LPR) status after completing 5 years of registered provisional immigrant (RPI) status under the DREAM title if they are under the age of 18 at time of adjustment to LPR status
• Blumenthal 8: Codifies existing Department of Homeland Security enforcement procedures at sensitive locations such as schools, churches, and hospitals. (passed in SJC by voice vote)
• Blumenthal 12: Allows RPIs who have honorably served in the Armed Forces and meet certain other conditions to become naturalized United States citizens, which can expedite the naturalization process for eligible Dreamers who have completed military service (passed in SJC by voice vote 5/20)
• Coons 10: Ensures that individuals authorized to be employed in the United States may not be denied professional, commercial, or business licenses on the basis of immigration status, which is beneficial for Dreamers and other young people seeking employment (second degree passed in SJC by voice vote 5/20)
• Hirono 10: Allows citizens to petition for their son or daughter if their child’s absence from the U.S. is causing the citizen hardship, promoting family unity through the family based immigration system (Not agreed to on 7-11 vote in SJC 5/21)
• Hirono 13: Promotes family unity by allowing naturalized Dreamers and other naturalized immigrants to petition for parents while in RPI status
• Hirono 14: Allows RPIs to petition for their dependent spouse and children who are not physically present in the U.S. to become RPI dependents if they meet the other eligibility requirements
• Hirono 16: Removes the five-year waiting period for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for children, pregnant women, and lawfully present individuals, reducing the wait for children to be eligible for critical nutrition and health assistance (withdrawn from SJC 5/20)
• Hirono 17: Allows time in RPI status to count towards five-year waiting period for federal means-tested benefits, so income-eligible children will not have to wait an additional 5 years for critical nutrition and health assistance following time in RPI and LPR status; also provides a state option to eliminate the five-year bar for Medicaid for LPRs, Dreamers, and blue-card holders (withdrawn from SJC 5/20)
• Hirono 21: Allows students who came to the U.S. as children to access tuition assistance while in RPI status, making college more affordable for Dreamers (second degree, excluding access to Pell Grants, passed by voice vote 5/20)

Title III

• Blumenthal 2: Prohibits children and other vulnerable populations in immigration detention from being held in solitary confinement (Passed in SJC by voice vote 5/20)
• Feinstein 5: Creates a pilot program under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPRA) to deter, detect, and prevent child trafficking by utilizing the services of independent child welfare professionals to assist CBP in the screening of children (Second degree passed by voice vote in SJC 5/20)
• Franken 7: “HELP Separated Children Act” improves immigration enforcement policies to protect child well-being and promote family unity by ensuring that parents’ are able to make decisions regarding their child’s care at the time of apprehension, while in detention, and prior and following removal (Passed on 18-0 vote in SJC 5/20)
• Coons 13: Puts additional protections in place for immigration enforcement activities at sensitive locations, including schools, hospitals, churches, community centers to help mitigate the adverse impact of immigration enforcement on children and families
• Hirono 22: “Child Trafficking Victims Protection Act” provides additional services and protections for unaccompanied minors in CBP custody, including providing adequate medical care and conducting screening upon apprehension (Second degree passed by voice vote in SJC 5/20)

Title IV

• Klobuchar 1: Grants a child status who seeks derivative RPI status through their parent if the child is a victim of abuse by the principal alien parent (passed by SJC 5/14)
• Hirono 15: Provides Medicaid coverage for Compact Free Association (COFA) migrants, including children (passed by SJC 5/14)

 Negative Amendments

Title II

• Cruz 2: Makes any individual who has ever been in the U.S. in unlawful status ineligible for means-tested benefits, which would result in nearly 1 million children never being able to access critical health and nutrition benefits (Not agreed to on 6-12 vote in SJC 5/21)
• Cruz 3: Denies citizenship to anyone who has ever been in the U.S. in unlawful status, including those who entered the U.S. as children (Not agreed to on 5-13 vote in SJC 5/21)
• Cruz 4: Limits the number of family-sponsored immigrants, making it harder for families to reunify through the family immigration system (Not agreed to on 6-12 vote in SJC 5/21)
• Flake 4: Require Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to conduct audits to ensure that RPIs are not receiving means-tested public benefits. This is unnecessary since RPIs are not eligible for means-tested benefits, and may result in a chilling factor after adjustment to LPR status and naturalization. (Adopted by voice vote in SJC 5/21)
• Grassley 7: Increases the fines related to RPI status, including requiring those that qualify under the DREAM Act to pay fines
• Grassley 10: To require removal proceedings to commence for an individual who is ineligible for RPI, putting children at risk of family separation and likely reducing the number of undocumented immigrants who apply for RPI status due to fear of deportation if denied
• Grassley 11: Removes the provision that allows individuals who are detained or in removal proceedings but may be eligible for RPI status to apply for such status. It also replaces the provision that allows certain undocumented immigrants who were removed to reenter the U.S. in the interest of family unity with an expansion of DHS’ ability to deport individuals in RPI status. This amendment strikes a number of provisions that are highly beneficial for family unity and replaces it with a provision that would likely result in more children becoming separated from their families. (Not agreed to in SJC 5/20)
• Grassley 21: Strikes section 2313 which provides for discretionary authority, including consideration of hardship to children, with respect to the removal, deportation, and inadmissibility of citizen and lawfully permanent resident immediate family members
• Hatch 5: Raises the income requirement for individuals applying to renew RPI status from 100% to 125% of the the federal poverty level (FPL) and requires them to maintain this income “throughout” the period of admission as an RPI, negatively impacting low-income mixed legal status families by creating additional barriers for immigrant parents to access a path to citizenship
• Hatch 22: Modifies provisions relating to the tax payment requirement to all income and employment taxes owed from the first date of entry into the U.S., rather than S. 744’s provision of all taxes assessed by Internal Revenue Service (IRS). This requirement would be unworkable for families, employers, and the IRS, with the overall effect of creating a barrier against immigrant parents adjusting to, and maintaining, RPI status.
• Hatch 23: Creates a 5-year waiting period for tax credits and cost-sharing subsidies under the ACA, creating a new waiting period for children to access health coverage through the ACA
• Lee 10: Similar tax modification to Hatch 22 to requires the payment of all taxes owed, rather than assessed, before applying for RPI status, making adjusting status more difficult and financially impossible for many parents, many of whom have U.S. citizen children (Not adopted by voice vote in SJC 5/21)
• Lee 13: Requires HHS to produce an annual report that estimates for every state: (a) the total amount of federal means-tested public benefits, (b) the amount of federal means-tested public benefits provided to persons who “resided illegally,” and (c) the amount of federal means-tested public benefits provided to households which had any registered provisional immigrants. Such a requirement could create a “chilling effect” and deter parents from applying for benefits for their children.
• Sessions 17-19: Changes the “public charge” test to limit children’s ability to adjust to RPI or LPR status and to become a naturalized citizen if they may at any time in the future become a public charge
• Sessions 20: Requires all applicants for RPI status to be interviewed before being eligible, which could delay the path to citizenship for all applicants, including children
• Sessions 24: Strikes the provision that authorizes the Secretary to permit aliens who were previously removed and are currently outside the United States or have reentered the United States illegally after removal to apply for RPI status, including certain DREAM eligible-youth who are now residing outside the U.S.
• Sessions 25: Makes children and other applicants ineligible for RPI status if they are “likely” in the future to get state-sponsored means tested benefit of any sort or access programs such as CHIP, Medicaid, ACA tax credits, TANF, or SSI
• Sessions 26-28: Makes children and other applicants ineligible for LPR status if they are “likely” in the future to get state-sponsored, means-tested benefits of any sort, or a range of federal health and nutrition benefits, including CHIP, Medicaid, ACA tax credits, or SNAP
• Sessions 29: Raises the income/resource requirement for individuals applying from RPI status to lawful LPR status from at least 125% to 400% of FPL and requires them to maintain employer-sponsored health insurance during the 10 years of RPI status, negatively impacting low-income mixed legal status families by creating additional barriers for immigrant parents to access a path to citizenship
• Sessions 43: Requires that before any RPI can adjust to LPR status, on an annual basis the Chief Actuary of the Social Security Administration (SSA) must determine that S.744 would have no harmful effects on the Social Security Trust Fund over the next 75 years. The Chief Actuary of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must also determine that S.744 would have no harmful effect on the Medicare Trust Fund over the next 75 years. This requirement could delay the path to citizenship, possibly indefinitely, for all applicants including children.

Title III

• Grassley 26: Strikes section 3405, removing protections for stateless children in the United States, putting an already a vulnerable population at greater risk
• Grassley 40: Weakens provisions that grant legal representation to unaccompanied minors, and only requires counsel to represent an unaccompanied alien child with a serious mental disability.
• Sessions 10: Alters the public charge test to require the consideration of health and nutrition assistance benefits and prevents individuals, including children, from adjusting to LPR status if they have used Medicaid or SNAP (Not agreed to by voice vote in SJC 5/20)
• Sessions 31: Denies the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to families with children during the entire RPI period, restricting it until families become LPRs or U.S. citizens, meaning children could be denied access to the EITC, a proven anti-poverty tool, for a minimum of 10 years (Not agreed to by voice vote in SJC 5/20)

No Title Specified

• Sessions 30: Restricts access to the Child Tax Credit (CTC) by excluding those that file with an Independent Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) number, directly harming children in immigrant families, many of whom are U.S. citizen children (Not agreed to on 8-10 vote in SJC 5/21)

Washington – The First Focus Campaign for Children and the Women's Refugee Commission today applauded U.S. Senators Al Franken (D-Minn.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) for filing an amendment to strengthen protections for children in the Senate “Gang of 8” comprehensive immigration reform bill. The amendment is also cosponsored by Democratic Senators Chris Coons (Del.), Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), and Mazie Hirono (Hawaii), and by Republican Senator John Cornyn (Texas). The Franken-Grassley amendment would keep families together whenever possible and help mitigate harm to children, including preventing children from entering foster care when immigration enforcement results in the detention or removal of their parents.

“Immigration enforcement tears children and parents apart,” said Campaign for Children President Bruce Lesley. “But the bipartisan Franken-Grassley amendment gives kids a better chance to stay with family and other trusted adults.”

“Over the past several years, the Women’s Refugee Commission has interviewed countless parents in immigration detention who had no idea where their children were, simply because they were apprehended without having a chance to arrange for their children’s care,” said Emily Butera, with the Migrant Rights and Justice Program of the Women’s Refugee Commission. “This amendment represents a humane, sensible solution.”

“Our broken immigration system has for far too long lacked basic humanitarian protections for children in enforcement actions,” said Sen. Franken. “Too often, the children – most of them citizens and legal residents – are overlooked or placed in the child welfare system because of poor policy. That's why I've introduced the bipartisan HELP Separated Children amendment with Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).”

The base bill (S. 744) provides several important improvements over current law for children placed in foster care following a parent’s detention or removal. But it does not address current immigration enforcement policies that prevent parents from making decisions regarding their child’s care and increase the likelihood that children in such situations will be unnecessarily placed in foster care during a parent’s immigration proceedings.

The amendment’s Humane Enforcement and Legal Protections for Separated Children Act (“HELP” Separated Children Act) provisions would:

• Allow parents to make calls to arrange for the care of their children;

• Ensure that children can call or visit their parents while they are detained;

• Allow parents to participate in state child welfare agency and family court proceedings affecting their children;

• Ensure that parents being removed from or voluntarily departing the United States can coordinate their repatriation with their children;

• Require immigration officials to consider the best interests of children in detention, release, and transfer decisions affecting their parents; and

• Provide training for immigration and detention facility personnel on best practices for protecting children.

The Pew Hispanic Center reported in 2011 that 5.5 million children, 4.5 million of whom are U.S. citizens, have at least one parent who is an undocumented immigrant and, therefore, are at risk of separation following an immigration enforcement action. More than 5,000 children were in state foster care systems because of immigration enforcement actions against a parent, according to a 2011 Applied Research Center analysis. That analysis projected that the number would jump to 15,000 within five years under the status quo.

The amendment enjoys diverse support. More than 60 child welfare, faith, and immigrant advocacy organizations have endorsed the bipartisan proposal.

“This important piece of legislation ensures that immigration enforcement does not get in the way of a parents’ right to make decisions about the care and well-being of their children,” said Butera.

“The Franken-Grassley amendment would let immigration officials focus on law enforcement, state child welfare agencies focus scarce resources where they’re most needed, and give kids a better chance at staying with their families,” said Lesley.

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The First Focus Campaign for Children is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization affiliated with First Focus, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization. The Campaign for Children advocates directly for legislative change in Congress to ensure children and families are the priority in federal policy and budget decisions. For more information, visit www.ffcampaignforchildren.org.

The Women's Refugee Commission was established in 1989 to address the particular needs of refugee and displaced women and children. The Women's Refugee Commission is affiliated with and is legally part of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. It does not receive direct financial support from the IRC. For more information, visit www.womensrefugeecommission.org.

The Huffington Post

Blumenthal's amendment is set to be endorsed by more than 125 organizations, including the National Education Association, First Focus Campaign for Children and undocumented youth advocacy group United We Dream...

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Washington – The First Focus Campaign for Children today applauded U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) for filing an amendment to strengthen the DREAM Act provisions of the Senate “Gang of 8” comprehensive immigration reform bill. The senator’s “Little Dreamers” amendment would eliminate obstacles that deny younger children a five-year path to citizenship available through the underlying bill to older children and young adults.

“The littlest kids have the biggest dreams, and Senator Blumenthal’s amendment would make those dreams come true much sooner,” said Campaign for Children President Bruce Lesley.

The base bill (S. 744) provides a five-year path to citizenship for youth who entered the U.S. prior to age 16, graduated from high school or earned a GED, and earned a college diploma, attended two years of college, or spent four years in the military. The high-school graduation requirement, however, makes that path to citizenship unavailable to young children who will not graduate high school or complete a GED before reaching age 18. Instead, those children must follow the path to citizenship established by the bill for adults, which could mean a delay of up to thirteen years.

The amendment enjoys widespread support. The First Focus Campaign for Children coordinated endorsements of the Little Dreamers Amendment by more than 180 child advocacy, faith-based, education, labor, and immigrant rights groups.

“Thirteen years is a lifetime for a child,” said Lesley. “The Senate Judiciary Committee should adopt this common-sense amendment.”

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The First Focus Campaign for Children is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization affiliated with First Focus, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization. The Campaign for Children advocates directly for legislative change in Congress to ensure children and families are the priority in federal policy and budget decisions. For more information, visit www.ffcampaignforchildren.org.

Washington – A new analysis released today by the bipartisan children’s advocacy organization First Focus shows that immigration reform legislation sponsored by a “Gang of 8” U.S. senators offers important improvements for children over current law.

“The status quo devalues kids and tears families apart, so the ‘Gang of 8’ proposal is an important step forward,” said First Focus Campaign for Children President Bruce Lesley.

Compared to current law, the Gang proposal makes several significant gains for children, including:

• An exceptionally strong version of the DREAM Act, offering eligible persons who entered the United States as children an expedited roadmap to citizenship and eliminating arbitrary age caps that had constrained prior versions of the legislation;

• A mechanism for people who entered the United States as children and later left the U.S. or were deported, but who meet some or all of the DREAM Act criteria, to be re-admitted, if they meet Homeland Security waiver criteria, and earn citizenship;

• Eliminates a double-standard in current law that disregards harm or hardship to a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident child, when making removal or admissibility decisions;

• An opportunity for children to earn citizenship, even if their parents do not become citizens, and exemptions from fees and penalties for children under age 16;

• A mechanism for children to reunite with parents who left the U.S. or were deported, if parents meet Homeland Security waiver criteria, and earn citizenship;

• Improvements that help children placed in state child welfare systems to reunite with parents who have been detained or deported;

• Accelerates family immigration backlog elimination;

• Ensures that “unaccompanied minor” children are represented by counsel and improves training for Customs and Border Patrol agents.

The Campaign for Children analysis also noted opportunities to improve the legislation’s alignment with principles for child-friendly immigration reform endorsed by more than 200 organizations representing children, immigrants, academia, faith communities, and civil rights:

• Eliminate unnecessary delays on the roadmap to citizenship for children under age 16 who are too young to qualify for the bill’s DREAM Act citizenship roadmap;

• Eliminate delays that deny children federally-funded health care, nutrition, and other assistance with basic needs;

“In America, every child should get the health care, food, and other basics they need to grow up strong and reach their full potential,” said Lesley. “Under this bill, kids would still have to wait up to 15 years for health coverage – that’s a lifetime for a child.”

The U.S. House of Representatives is reportedly preparing to consider immigration reform legislation. Proposals are expected in the coming weeks from House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA-6) and a bipartisan ‘gang’ of House members.

“We look forward to working with lawmakers in both chambers and on both sides of the aisle to build an immigration plan that works for children and families.”

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The First Focus Campaign for Children is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization affiliated with First Focus, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization. The Campaign for Children advocates directly for legislative change in Congress to ensure children and families are the priority in federal policy and budget decisions. For more information, visit www.ffcampaignforchildren.org.

Washington – A bipartisan “Gang of 8” U.S. senators today released immigration reform legislation. An initial review by the bipartisan children’s advocacy organization First Focus Campaign for Children confirms that the proposal includes components aligned with principles for immigration reform critical to advancing children’s interests and protecting their basic rights. Specifically, the legislation creates a roadmap to citizenship for aspiring citizens, including a more streamlined and inclusive version of the DREAM Act for undocumented youth, appointment of counsel for unaccompanied children in immigration proceedings, and reforms to help children in foster care reunite with parents who have been detained or deported.

The principles for immigration reform that meets children’s needs have been endorsed by more than 200 organizations representing children, immigrants, academia, faith traditions, and civil rights. While the new legislation incorporates components of the children’s principles, other reforms that protect children and families’ basic rights, such as access to healthcare and other lifelines, were not addressed in the legislation.

In the coming days, the Campaign for Children will release a thorough analysis of the bill’s potential impact on children and families. In response to the legislation’s release, Bruce Lesley, president of the Campaign for Children, made the following statement:

“The status quo devalues kids and tears families apart, so real progress on reform is an important step forward. The ‘Gang of 8’ bill is a promising starting point for immigration reform that delivers for kids. We look forward to working with lawmakers in both chambers and on both sides of the aisle to build an immigration plan that works for children and families.”

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The First Focus Campaign for Children is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization affiliated with First Focus, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization. The Campaign for Children advocates directly for legislative change in Congress to ensure children and families are the priority in federal policy and budget decisions. For more information, visit www.ffcampaignforchildren.org.

On March 20, 2013, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing presided over by Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) titled “Building an Immigration System Worthy of American Values.” The hearing focused on the high cost exacted by our immigration system on families, on civil liberties, and on human dignity. The FFCC submitted this statement urging congress to reform our immigration laws so that they promote the best interests of all our nation’s children, including unaccompanied immigrant children, and protect the due process rights of parents involved in immigration proceedings.

• Related: Press Release on Principles for Immigration Reform that Works for Children