CWS Commends Judiciary Committee for Advancing Immigration Bill


May 22, 2013

WASHINGTON, DCIn a statement released today, CWS commended the Senate Judiciary Committee for its vote to send a bipartisan immigration reform bill to the full Senate for consideration:

“CWS commends Senator Patrick Leahy and his colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee for moving forward Senate Bill 744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, for a full vote in the coming days.

“This is a significant step forward for hundreds of thousands of families caught in the grip of an antiquated and harmful immigration policy,” says Erol Kekic, director of Church World Service’s Immigration and Refugee Program. “Our staff and our peers see the need for change every day. While we wish the bill did more to protect families, it is still positive change.

“The CWS network of people of faith, refugees, volunteers, refugee resettlement staff, and community members made thousands of phone calls, hosted prayer vigils, and met with their Senators to encourage support for immigration reform. We will continue these phone calls, actions, and advocacy with all members of congress to improve the bill and see it agreed to by the full Senate and the House,” Kekic added.

CWS, which for years has provided services to refugees and immigrants across the U.S., pledged to help improve this bill through the amendment process and urged all Senators to support a timely process to consider, improve, and enact the legislation.

CWS is one of just nine organizations the government works with to resettle refugees within the U.S.