A week after the midterm election, the results make clear that on balance, anti-immigrant rhetoric and fearmongering did not win.
“Americans want Republicans and Democrats to come together on border and immigration solutions,” said Jennie Murray, President and CEO of the National Immigration Forum. “Candidates and elected officials from both parties will serve themselves well by focusing on creating better immigration and border processes that will benefit all Americans moving forward.
“Republicans and Democrats in the current Congress should come together right now to pass existing bills that would address border challenges and help Dreamers, farmworkers and our Afghan allies — as well as American employers.”
This week nearly 200 people from more than 30 states are in Washington, D.C., conveying the urgency for action with their members of Congress. And surveys throughout 2022 reflect the desire for reforms now.
In a Lifeway research survey in September, 80% of American evangelicals said they would support bipartisan immigration reform “that strengthens border security, establishes a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children, and provides a reliable number of screened, legal farmworkers.” Survey results from February and August indicated similar support among evangelicals and more broadly among registered voters and all adults and clearly defined the support for action this year.