Safe Passage Project’s Managing Attorney, Alexandra Rizio, Co-authored an Op Ed with NYC Councilmember Carlina Rivera in the Gotham Gazette:
“When it comes to immigration, the United States suffers from a deeply split personality: are we a “nation of immigrants,” a country built on immigrant contributions, where Lady Liberty welcomes those fleeing persecution and seeking opportunity? Or are we a country that itself persecutes those perceived as different, that closes our borders to newcomers, and whose very institutions seek to preserve whiteness?
We’re both, of course. But with the Citizenship Act of 2021, we have the opportunity to cement the part of our immigration history that does us proud. The Citizenship Act presents a sweeping vision for immigration reform — one that recognizes immigrants as an essential fiber of our common tapestry. It’s a bill that prioritizes the dignity and humanity of our immigrant siblings in ways that shouldn’t be refreshing, but are. New York’s local and state governments have the opportunity to embrace these changes and effect implementation in important ways.”