Dear Members of Congress,

Immigration policy has been developing in the US since the foundation of this country, and as the US became a global leader, even more immigrants have entered into the US. However, the current system for overstaying immigrants is failing our people. Overstay immigrants aren’t able to renew their visas or start a naturalization process. This system often burdens the US economy and prevents societal equity in this country as immigrants are placed in an awkward position due to the lack of resources and legal status, thus preventing social mobility and putting the potential for valuable US residents to dormancy. I humbly request your thorough examination and serious consideration for the dignity bill introduced in 2023 to allow overstay immigrants who have legally entered the US to once again have legal status for them to participate in a legal naturalization process. This is the bill that can bring equity for millions of people currently living in the US, who have legally entered into the US.

The current immigration process is already intensive enough as the process to earn a US green card takes anywhere from 7 to 33 months, the green card must be held for 3 to 5 years, and further to earn a US citizenship, it takes about 18 to 22 months. The median years spent as a lawful permanent resident (LPR) for all citizens naturalized in 2023 was 7 years. During this long-lasting process, many have missed visa renewal periods thus resulting in an overstay of immigrant status. Up until 2018, there were 11 million unauthorized immigrants living in the country according to the Migration Policy Institute, and this number is continuing to grow which is revealed by 853,955 overstay events that occurred in 2022. Being in a state of “unlawful presence” is a reality for millions within the US and they don’t have any opportunity to renew their immigration visa process or take any action on the road to citizenship leaving them without any legal status. If an immigrant stays for more than 1 year after not being permitted to renew their visa, they are not allowed to come back to the US for a minimum of 10 years, which is too much time stolen. Most overstay immigrants love the US, and reject leaving the US because they aren’t certain if they will ever be permitted back in. Please keep this reality of millions living within your mind: people who have entered into the US legally are being harshly punished for failing to keep visa renewal procedures as a failure to understand the complicated process of earning a legal citizenship. I strongly believe that there is a moral obligation for the US to stop enforcing such a law that doesn’t show grace on “legal” immigration. Certainly, there are various reasons for the circumstances of overstay immigrants ending up in “unlawful presence”, and considering all specific cases would be beyond the scope of this letter. However, we must recognize that whatever circumstances lead to a failure to comply, no US resident is willing to live in the harsh realities of not being able to legally work or receive social security. My calling comes from a soul that recognizes a failure in the immigration system and passing the dignity bill can provide liberty for millions of overstay immigrants who have been longing for their citizenship for so long. 

As a child of an overstay immigrant single mother, I have witnessed the struggles that overstay immigrants face. Having no legal status meant intensive toil that earned less than minimum wage thus resulting in incidents of economic and social inequity as well as humility for not completing the legal process in due time. The many cases for overstay immigrants go like this: “They enter into the US for studies or business, miss their visa renewal period, then end up being immigrants without legal status that hope for either marriage or I-130(petition for alien relative).” American Immigration Council reports that ​​4.4 million U.S.-citizen children under the age of 18 lived with at least one undocumented parent as of 2018, and this data is especially alarming when we consider that ⅓ of normal immigrants are currently low-income thus resulting in government aid for many children’s households through SNAP and government subsidies. These social welfare programs are funded by taxpayer money and so in order to make the best use of taxpayer dollars, we must consider the root of who we are supporting. A large portion of supported families are immigrants, therefore providing more economic opportunities through allowing legal status will encourage economic progress for the US. Supporting overstaying immigrant families to earn citizenship is not just a moral obligation but is an action of supporting future US citizens, who contribute to the excellence of the US. The dignity bill will impact millions of lives, as well as the future society and economy of the US, so please consider it as you would consider the circumstances of the millions as your own.

Every second of the lack of a renewal process for overstaying immigrants accumulates the economic and social burden on the US. Please hastily allow the passing of the dignity bill to bring equity in this generation of immigrants to support their families and build the US together. Thank you.

Bibliography

Dignidad (Dignity) Act of 2023 - 118th Congress, www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/3599. Accessed 30 Mar. 2024. 

Fiscal Year 2022 Entry/Exit Overstay Report, www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2023-07/23_0707_FY22_FY23_CBP_Integrated_Entry_Exit_Overstay_Report.pdf. Accessed 30 Mar. 2024. 

Julia Gelatt, Valerie Lacarte. “A Profile of Low-Income Immigrants in the United States.” Migrationpolicy.Org, 17 Nov. 2022, www.migrationpolicy.org/research/low-income-immigrants. 

Randy Capps, Julia Gelatt. “Unauthorized Immigrants in the United States: Stable Numbers, Changing Origins.” Migrationpolicy.Org, 17 Dec. 2020, www.migrationpolicy.org/research/unauthorized-immigrants-united-states-stable-numbers-changing-origins.