Immigration Reform
HIAS advocates for immigration laws that are humane, enhance national security, and reflect our Jewish values. Our Jewish religious and ethical traditions and core American values call on us to “welcome the stranger.” The United States deserves an effective immigration system guided by the rule of law, the national interest, fairness, and compassion. Specifically, we want comprehensive legislation that:
- Keeps families united and decreases the waiting time for family re-unification.
- Creates pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
- Creates a plan for future migration flows in order to protect all workers' rights.
- Empowers immigrants to fully integrate by providing financial support to local governments and community organizations that offer classes and services.
- Establishes border protection and enforcement policies that bolster our national security, while balancing enforcement with economic development and human and civil rights.
Contact your Members of Congress about the urgency of immigration reform.
Learn about the current actions of the Interfaith Immigration Coalition.
Engage Your Community on Immigration
Get involved with We Were Strangers, Too: the Jewish Campaign for Immigration Reform.
Host an educational Welcome the Stranger event in your community.
Utilize our religious resources on immigration, including holiday guides and dvar torah.
What's New
- House Hearing on Immigration Reform - On July 14, the House Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law hosted a hearing on the Ethical Imperative for Reform of our Immigration System in Washington, DC. The panel featured speakers from the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Liberty University School of Law, and the Center for Immigration Studies. Read HIAS' statement prepared in advance of the hearing.
- Moving Major League Baseball out of Arizona - A network of pro-immigrant organizations are working to peruade Major Leauge Baseball (MLB) to move its 2011 All Star Game out of Arizona. On July 12, national and local organizations announced that they will deliver 100,000 petitions to Bud Selig, the Commissioner of MLB, to move the game. On July 13, hundreds of protesters attended the 2010 All Star Game in Anaheim, CA to keep the pressure on Selig. Read more.
- HIAS Signs Amicus Brief against Arizona Law - On June 18, HIAS joined 37 other public interest organizations in filing an amicus brief against Arizona law SB1070, supporting a lawsuit seeking to prevent the new legislation from taking effect. Unless the court grants an injunction, the new law will go into effect on July 29. The class action lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of the bill, primarily focusing on the supremacy clause, the right to travel, and first amendment rights.
Policy Resolutions
Community Statements and Sign-On Letters
Press Releases
Op-Eds