On Thursday, the Senate Parliamentarian advised for a third time against including immigration provisions in the Build Back Better Act.

The Vera Institute of Justice issued the following statement:

“The Parliamentarian’s advice against including immigration provisions in the Build Back Better Act is unconscionable. Millions of our neighbors who were celebrated as essential workers and kept us alive during the pandemic are being denied family unity and a pathway to citizenship. The Senate must do everything necessary to include a pathway to citizenship in the bill. No excuses. Only then can we start to build an immigration system premised on dignity and family unity, not criminalization and deportation.”

About the Vera Institute of Justice:

The Vera Institute of Justice is powered by hundreds of advocates, researchers, and activists working to transform the criminal legal and immigration systems until they’re fair for all. Founded in 1961 to advocate for alternatives to money bail in New York City, Vera is now a national organization that partners with impacted communities and government leaders for change. We develop just, antiracist solutions so that money doesn’t determine freedom; fewer people are in jails, prisons, and immigration detention; and everyone is treated with dignity. Vera’s headquarters is in Brooklyn, New York, with offices in Washington, DC, New Orleans, and Los Angeles. For more information, visit vera.org.