Florida Immigrant Coalition supports resolution pressing Congress to tackle immigration policy

The Florida Immigrant Coalition on Thursday joined Illinois U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez and other advocates calling on Congress to tackle immigration policy and provide a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented people. 

Support for change, fueled by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and deportations, has never been greater, Ramirez said as she announced the resolution. It is being co-sponsored by 19 other House members.

The resolution calls on the House of Representatives to pass legislation providing pathways to citizenship for undocumented long-term residents of the United States and provide “humanitarian protection pathways” including providing “broad and meaningful access” to asylum.

Ramirez’s parents emigrated from Guatemala. Her husband is a former Dreamer (he obtained a green card in 2024). And she’s the niece of an uncle who worked and put his children through college but, she says, lives in the shadows out of fear of being deported.

“Now is the time to build a system that recognizes the contributions of our immigrant neighbors. No more excuses. No more fibs. It’s important to do it,” Ramirez said, noting that it had been 40 years since the U.S. House of Representatives last passed immigration legislation.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has aggressively enforced federal immigration policy and called the Legislature into a special session to pass a state law aimed at carrying out the policy. The law includes directives for Florida counties to enter into 287(g) agreements, which allow state and local authorities to work with federal immigration authorities. 

Florida Immigrant Coalition Executive Director Tessa Petit said the resolution recognizes the urgency of the moment for immigrants across the United States who are afraid to live, work, and send their children to school. The coalition, Petit said, works with 80 organizations. The goal, according to the group’s website, is  to “strengthen pro-immigrant power.”

“As a Haitian immigrant experiencing the agonizing pain and fear of the Haitian community in Florida every day, who have lost TPS in looking at detention and deportation in their near future,” she said, “I particularly welcome the resolution because it brings to light all the changes needed in our immigration system to ensure the safety of our immigrant friends and family members who are here and deserve justice and dignity.”

She added: “It is time for immigrants to be fairly recognized as part of this country, and this resolution will set the path to a promising future for immigrants.”

Specifically, Ramirez’s resolution calls on Congress to eliminate arbitrary caps on visas, including country-based limits, ban use of temporary visas that bar immigrants from changing employers, and ban limits on access to services and benefits, such as Medicaid.

Ramirez’s resolution came days after she filed a bill to abolish the Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and ICE.