With the Senate currently debating possible reforms to our nation’s immigration system, we at First Focus Campaign for Children, along with a host of other organizations, want to ensure that the interests and needs of children and families are met in the immigration reform bill (S.744).

In a letter addressed to Members in the Senate today, our coalition of organizations stress the importance of an immigration bill that supports children and families. A number of Senators have offered positive amendments that will improve children’s access to a pathway to citizenship, as well as health, nutrition, and other supports. Standing in the way of this agenda, however, are a number of amendments that pose a threat to the well-being of immigrant children and families of immigrant children.

Therefore, we would like to remind the Senate that children and families should be a priority when they consider the amendments to, and the ultimate vote on, the immigration reform bill. It is paramount that the legislation echoes these sentiments as a failure to do so could have negative, lasting impacts on millions of immigrant children and their families.

You can find additional information related to the letter distributed to each Member’s office in the Senate here, and a list of S.744 amendments that affect children and their families (this list will be updated regularly as amendments are filed) here.