Immigration Advocates Mourn the Loss of Senator Edward M. Kennedy

Edward M. Kennedy was a stalwart champion of immigration law.  At the defeat of his immigration reform bill which failed to pass in 2007, he stated, “immigration is an opportunity to be true to our ideals as a nation.  Our Declaration of Independence announces that all of us are created equal.  Today, we failed to live up to that declaration for millions of men and women who live, work, and worship beside us.  But our ideals are too strong to be held back for long.”

The Late Senator Kennedy with President Obama

 His record on immigration related measures in the Senate is unparalleled:

 1965

The first major bill that Senator Kennedy managed on the Senate floor was the Immigration Act of 1965. It was enacted and stood as a major turning point in immigration and civil rights policy because it eliminated discriminatory immigration quotas which favored European immigration, but restricted immigration from other parts of the world. The 1965 Act gave priority to immigrants based on their skills and family relationships.

 1990

Senator Kennedy was also sponsor of the Immigration Act of 1990 to expand immigration quotas to reunite families in the U.S. and to meet economic needs, which was signed into law.

2005

 Senator Kennedy also begins a four-year effort to achieve comprehensive immigration reform, including a legalization program for immigrants who have been working in the United States, a reduction of the backlog of petitions to unify immigrant families, a temporary worker program, and strict security to protect the nation’s borders.

2007

Following an immigration raid on a factory in Massachusetts, Senator Kennedy worked with the Department of Homeland Security to develop guidelines on humanitarian screening for workers arrested in such raids.

Unfortunately, Senator Kennedy did not live to see his dream of immigration reform become a reality.  Click here to read the post by the American Immigration Lawyers Association which explains the loss the immigration community feels without this champion of immigrant rights serving his country.  The country needs more immigration advocates who are willing to take a stand and speak out for immigrant rights and champion immigration reform, an issue which is politically charged, yet needs to be addressed.