California Senator Alex Padilla, a Democrat who replaced Kamala Harris when she became Vice President is calling for a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants deemed “essential workers.”
“I think nothing speaks to the moment more than COVID response and fairness for essential workers,” Padilla said. “On a parallel track, we know that immigration reform is long overdue in the United States of America and there are no states that have more at stake in immigration reform than the state of California.”
He added “a standalone measure allows us to uplift specific elements of a comprehensive package as you continue to gain momentum and support.”
California Sen. Alex Padilla has unveiled his first piece of legislation since arriving in the Senate: The Citizenship for Essential Workers Act, which would offer millions of immigrant essential workers and their families a path to citizenship.
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) February 27, 2021
Padilla tweeted “Dignity, respect and a pathway to citizenship is not only personal to me, it’s also in the best interest of our nation.”
“This is why I introduced the Citizenship for Essential Workers Act,” he added.
Dignity, respect and a pathway to citizenship is not only personal to me, it's also in the best interest of our nation. This is why I introduced the Citizenship for Essential Workers Act.
https://t.co/cKkkdMKixX— Alex Padilla (@AlexPadilla4CA) March 1, 2021