Applaud U.S. Sen. Bennet’s Action Urging President Biden to Grant Work Permits
DENVER — This week, United States Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) and 18 other U.S. senators urged President Biden to extend work permits to undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens and provide stability “to the American businesses, communities, and families who rely on them.”
On Wednesday, American Families United (AFU) and American Business Immigration Coalition Action held an interactive discussion at Sen. Bennet’s Denver Metro office about federal solutions that address our region’s workforce challenges, keep Colorado families together and increase economic prosperity and opportunities for all Coloradans.
Said Ed Markowitz, AFU board member and spouse of a long-term undocumented immigrant, for 22 years (Denver/Toronto), “Sen. Bennet supported his 19,000 Colorado American citizens living in mixed-status families who need relief. I want to personally thank Sen. Bennet for joining Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin and 18 other senators in a letter urging President Biden to grant work permits to long-term residents.
“For the past 13 years of our marriage, I’ve been forced to live abroad by my own government,” Markwotz added. “This speaks to the insanity and randomness of our screwy immigration system. After meeting, falling in love and marrying, we are forced to live on the fringe of our American society. Our family has paid immensely and there is no telling if it will ever be enough. It’s just impossible to understand what has been accomplished by such ineffective policy. President Biden, we need the relief that only you can provide right now. Bring our American families home.”
Armando, the stepson of Ed, said, “I have to FaceTime my mom. I don’t get to just go around the corner and have her over for dinner on a Sunday. It hurts. Out of nowhere, I was 16 or 17, my family just disappeared, broken apart. Right now there are thousands of American citizens missing a part of their love and a hole has been forced in their families and communities. It doesn’t have to be this way. Biden holds the power to make it better for American families and communities. We would like to thank Sen. Bennet for being a champion and a leader and for hearing us and to keep this fight with love moving forward. I want to thank our community leaders. We are standing together and we can change this.”
Judy Cardenas is a member of American Families United, First Universalist Church of Denver, the Denver Classroom Teachers union, Colorado Education and National Education Associations, and the spouse of a long-term undocumented immigrant in Denver. She said, “I’ve been a teacher in public schools for 37 years, and I’ve worked for Sen. Bennet. Today, we’re thanking Sen. Bennet for signing Sen. Durbin’s letter but I’m also asking the senator and his wonderful staffers to continue to work for the American families of Colorado.We have American citizens right now separated from their loved ones or stuck or in exile in Gambia, Honduras, Mexico, Guatemala, Canada and the U.K., worldwide. Couples married for 21 years, like myself, along with one million other U.S. citizens and five million children will tell you what the U.S. immigration laws have done: separate parents, children and loved ones. Mr. President, you can fix this, today. Use your authority to give work permits to our family members, just as you do for military spouses. Just as you do for our newest immigrants, who we welcome here in Denver.”
Added Kenna Yarbrough, a member of American Families United and family friend of a long-term undocumented immigrant in Loveland, “I stand in solidarity with my friend Ed Markowitz, his three sons and his beautiful Mexican national wife, Rocio. I’ve known Ed and his family for more than 20 years. We were very active members of our Golden Colorado Applewood Valley United Methodist Church. Our children were in youth group together. They were in Bible school and mission trips together. Rocio and Ed were super active in our church activities and loved by all the members. Then, one day, their beautiful family was torn apart. Ed, Rocio and their youngest son, Ben, had to move to Canada while their two oldest sons stayed in Colorado to finish up school. Why did this happen? I would really like my friend Ed and his family to be able to live legally in the United States again.”
BACKGROUND:
In Colorado, over 190,000 U.S. citizens live in a mixed-status household, where some members are citizens or legal permanent residents and others are undocumented. Like the rest of the nation, Colorado also faces a dire worker shortage, with 52 workers for every 100 open jobs according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Undocumented immigrants in Colorado contribute $441.6 million in taxes and wield a spending power of $3.6 billion. Sen. Bennet is a champion for businesses, Dreamers and the immigrant spouses of U.S. citizens. Practical solutions like work permits for undocumented Coloradans are critical to maintaining our region’s competitiveness and keeping Colorado families together.