With a background in engineering, Martin Heinrich brings a unique perspective to the Senate, where he is focused on creating the jobs of the future and protecting the vital missions at New Mexico’s national labs and military installations. Raised by working class parents, he is a strong advocate for working families, a staunch ally of Indian Country, and a champion for New Mexico’s public lands and growing clean energy economy.
My father immigrated to the United States in search of a better life - like so many before and after him. Immigrants recognize the hope that America represents; the way we treat them when they arrive shows the world who we are. Unfortunately, for decades, our nation's broken immigration system has fallen short.
We are a nation of laws, and our immigration laws are badly in need of repair. New Mexicans are eager for a solution, immigrants deserve a solution, and our economy requires a solution. I am pleased that President Biden has made fixing our immigration system a priority. I look forward to working with him on comprehensive immigration legislation to provide a fair and earned pathway to U.S. citizenship for Dreamers and millions of undocumented people, prioritize smart federal infrastructure investments for our vibrant border communities, and address the root causes of mass migration from Central America's northern triangle.
As a border state, we understand the deep cultural ties we share with our neighbors to the South, and we know that immigrants make our country stronger. Delivering on a pathway to citizenship and lasting protections for immigrants is critical to America's success. Keeping in mind the Senate Parliamentarian’s ruling that a pathway to citizenship cannot be included in a reconciliation bill, I will continue to work with President Biden and senators from both sides of the aisle to create lasting protections for our neighbors, friends and family members - who make incredible sacrifices and significant contributions to our communities and our successes.
Dreamers across the country have come out of the shadows because of the promise that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) program represents, including more than 7,000 here in New Mexico. These are some of our brightest students and veterans. I am proud to have led a group of Democrats in introducing the Protect DREAMer Confidentiality Act to ensure that the information they provide the government is not used against them in enforcement.