ICYMI: PA Leaders Show Support for Immigration Agenda That Keeps Families Together
PA Dreamer & Congresswoman Summer Lee (D-PA) emphasize support for a popular and balanced immigration policy that includes a path to citizenship and humane border security
History tells us that Pennsylvania is a must-win state for any candidate on the road to 270 electoral votes. This year, that’s still true. What’s new is that voters in the Keystone State consistently name immigration as a top issue, offering a new opportunity for both tickets to sell their distinct visions on the issue: for the GOP, family separation; for Democrats, keeping families together.
Over the weekend, two Pennsylvania leaders made it clear which vision they see as right for their state: Mitzi Colin Lopez, a DACA recipient from Pennsylvania who was also First Lady Jill Biden’s guest at the 2023 State of the Union, and Congresswoman Summer Lee (PA -12) made the case for Democrats’ vision on immigration.
The Democrats’ balanced approach is popular in the state. Polling confirms that, among voters in the Rust Belt, 67% favor a balanced approach to the issue, one that addresses the border but also offers paths to citizenship for long-settled undocumented immigrants in the U.S. - including Dreamers like Mitzi. The data aligns with calls from several PA mayors this year who are looking to welcome more immigrants into their communities as a result of severe worker shortages.
In her op-ed Lopez said:
DACA transformed my life…I am confident that a Harris-Walz administration will continue to advance this same legacy and work towards delivering the modern, humane immigration system that we deserve–and desperately need. Vice President Harris has long championed a path to citizenship for Dreamers and longtime undocumented immigrants, in addition to her work to prevent families from being separated.
If former President Trump is re-elected, we know what lies ahead. He has made it clear—he plans to tear families apart and deport millions of undocumented individuals who simply wish to live in peace with their loved ones. Such actions would not only be a humanitarian and moral catastrophe but an economic disaster as well.
And while appearing on Face The Nation, Congresswoman Lee emphasized the bevy of evidence showing that American voters are eager for lawmakers to champion this distinct, solutions-based agenda on the issue. When faced with the choice, voters overwhelmingly prefer a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants (61%) over the GOP’s plan for mass deportations (39%).
“There’s this idea to say that…talking about immigration reform and the border in a humane way is somehow to the left. But I think that that’s what the average American wants. We’ve ceded ground to Republicans…on immigration. They have a tendency to talk about it in a fear mongering and inhumane way, and I don’t think it’s wise that we join them in that. I think people want us to see [Democrats] distinguish ourselves as a party.”
Vice President Kamala Harris’s immigration strategy clearly resonates with Pennsylvanians who believe our government shouldn’t be in the business of separating families, but rather delivering solutions for all of America’s families, including Dreamers and immigrants. As immigration remains a critical issue in this battleground state, Harris’s commitment to and socialization of a balanced approach could be the decisive factor in securing Pennsylvania's support this November.
