Politician · policy

Elizabeth Warren on Immigration

Fair Welcoming System Advocate (strong)

Elizabeth Warren's position on immigration centers on creating a fair and welcoming system that keeps families together, grows the economy, and reflects American values. She supports a major reform to address the humanitarian issues at the border while establishing a rules-based structure.

Warren proposes decriminalizing migration, treating unauthorized entry as a civil, not criminal, violation, which would dramatically reduce the scale of the immigration detention complex. She also calls for holding agencies like CBP and ICE accountable, demanding they adhere to due process standards used in other law enforcement areas.

Furthermore, her plan stresses expanding legal immigration to meet labor demands and reuniting families by reducing backlogs, alongside providing a path to status and citizenship for the estimated 11 million undocumented individuals. She also advocates for affirming asylum protections and increasing the annual refugee cap.

Central to her platform is ending what she describes as the Trump administration's cruelty and division, which included rejecting discriminatory policies based on race or religion, such as the Muslim Ban. She seeks to reshape enforcement away from mass detention and towards security efforts at ports of entry.

Context

As a prominent Democratic Senator for Massachusetts and a former presidential candidate, Elizabeth Warren's stance on immigration is a significant part of her national policy platform. Her proposals often reflect a progressive approach within the party, advocating for systemic reform over incremental changes.

Her advocacy has focused heavily on the humanitarian aspects of immigration, particularly concerning the treatment of migrants at the border and within detention facilities. This focus is often framed in opposition to Republican administrations' policies, which she frequently characterizes as cruel or discriminatory.

Actions Taken

  1. Advocacy/oversight
    Co-led a letter urging the Department of Homeland Security and ICE to limit and phase out solitary confinement for detainees, calling for humane treatment and alternatives to detention.
  2. Policy Proposal
    Unveiled a detailed immigration plan that included decriminalizing migration and reshaping CBP and ICE.
  3. Oversight
    Questioned GEO Group and CoreCivic regarding compliance with federal immigration detention standards following a DHS IG report.

Key Quotes

We need expanded legal immigration that will grow our economy, reunite families, and meet our labor market demands.

Statement on Immigration Plan July 11, 2019 — Stating the need for legal immigration reform in her 2019 plan.

It's time to end this cruelty — and refocus on true threats to public safety and national security instead.

Statement on Immigration Plan July 11, 2019 — Describing the need to change enforcement priorities away from punitive actions.

Decriminalize migration and refocus enforcement on serious criminal activity.

Statement on Immigration Plan July 11, 2019 — Outlining a core tenet of her immigration enforcement philosophy.
Sources5

* This is not an exhaustive list of sources.