Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) is continuing his push for comprehensive immigration reform.
The prospects for immigration reform anytime soon seem highly unlikely….with many Republicans unwilling to accept a long path to citizenship included in a bipartisan bill passed by the Senate.
Senator Martin Heinrich voted for that bill. Last week…he took to the Senate floor to not only push for immigration reform…but also to highlight the benefits of President Obama’s DACA program…Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. He highlighted a DACA recipient identified only as Cesar….a New Mexico State University graduate…noting that he is headed to medical school at Loyola University in Chicago.
Heinrich also noted that the DACA program is threatened and he made a plea to Republicans to work with Democrats to pass immigration reform.
New Mexico’s Congressional delegation supports a pathway to citizenship as a part of comprehensive reform, with the exception of Rep. Steve Pearce. In previous interviews, Pearce has told KRWG News a pathway to citizenship would encourage illegal immigration. On Pearce’s website, a posting of a letter to the Las Cruces group Communities in Action and Faith promotes a guest worker program, but says, “For those who answer ‘I want to be a citizen,’ individuals must follow a different path - a path beginning in their home country." http://pearce.house.gov/editorial/letter-cafe