Will introduce legislation to fix the broken immigration and border system

WASHINGTON, DC (TIP): Congressman Tom Suozzi (D – Long Island, Queens) is seeking to build a bipartisan, broad-based coalition to bring ‘order to the border’ and reform America’s antiquated, broken immigration system.
Suozzi says he is also determined to bring together a new alliance –“business, the bible, and badges”– in a collective effort to lobby Congress and force it to do its job.
He explained this unique partnership by saying:
“Business has a huge stake in immigration reform. Companies, farmers, hospitals, and manufacturers need a long-term immigration fix to better plan the future of our nation’s economic health. Immigrant workers have become an essential part of the U.S. workforce, contributing across sectors and playing a noteworthy role in our country’s economy.”
“By using the word ‘bible,’ I refer to those basic values, both religious and secular, that Americans have embraced –that all men and women are created equal and are entitled to human respect and dignity. Spiritual and secular leaders of all kinds can join hands to practice what they preach: the golden rule, human dignity, and the worth of all people.
And ‘badges’ represent our country’s law enforcement community who need new, innovative technology, cutting-edge tools, and “order at the border” to better protect our borders and communities.”
“The U.S. faces an immigration crisis because too many politicians have spent too many years ‘weaponizing’ immigration policy-fighting across the aisle- but haven’t done a thing to fix it,” declared Suozzi.
“My goal is to introduce bipartisan legislation this summer that will 1) secure the border, 2) fix the broken and outdated asylum system, and 3) treat people like human beings,” he announced.
Suozzi has visited the southern border three times, meeting with border patrol agents, local law enforcement officials, mayors, businesses, and nonprofits. “It’s not working,” Suozzi says.
“The present immigration system is hopelessly outdated. The original asylum process was created during the ‘cold war.’ The United States Refugee Act of 1980 when America was happy to provide a safe haven to ‘individuals fleeing persecution in the Soviet Union, Cuba, and other communist and authoritarian regimes,’” Suozzi explained.
As Co-Chair of the newly formed Democrats for Border Security Task Force, Suozzi faces a daunting challenge: To find common ground with Democrats and Republicans in a bitterly divided, election year congress.
“Democrats and Republicans in Washington must work together to pass bipartisan immigration reform legislation to firmly secure our borders and establish clear, legal paths,” he asserted.
Suozzi said he was disappointed when a bipartisan Senate deal struck last February between Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), and Chris Murphy (D-CT) was torpedoed by former President Donald Trump. “You’ve got to keep on working. There’s an old expression: ‘Don’t mourn—organize,’” Suozzi rallied. “It’s hard. Getting this done is hard work, but I have made this my number one priority. I am going to build this coalition,” he added.
In May, when Suozzi realized that Congress was not going to pass the Senate’s bipartisan legislation, he worked with Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) to call on President Biden to take executive action.
In June, Suozzi welcomed the President’s executive orders on bringing “order to the border” and work permits for undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens, many of whom have lived in America for their whole lives. “Now Congress must, after 30 years, finally act!” Suozzi said.