NEA President reacts to Biden Administration executive actions to protect family unity

WASHINGTON – Today, National Education Association President Becky Pringle issued the following statement in response to President Biden’s Executive Orders to provide protections for non-citizen spouses of American citizens and their non-citizen children who have resided in the United States for a decade and allow college-educated Dreamers to obtain work visas. Together, these are the most significant executive actions to protect and keep families together since the Obama-Biden administration established DACA in 2012.

“The National Education Association stands firm in the conviction that every student, irrespective of their ZIP code or country of origin, is entitled to the promise of an exceptional public education. We applaud the Biden administration for listening to us and for expanding administrative pathways to protect family unity. Extending protection for spouses of U.S. citizens is a necessary step forward to fulfill the promise of delivering lasting relief for mixed-status families – including the educators and students already in our nation’s classrooms.”

“In addition, educators across the nation, including more than 9,000 DACAmented educators working in our public schools, applaud the Biden administration for its executive actions to keep families together and allowing qualified, college-educated Dreamers to more easily obtain employment-based visas and adjust their status. NEA and its members have long advocated for more permanent protections for Dreamers. They are our members, students, and neighbors and they are an integral part of our communities as they pursue the American dream. This is the only home they know. We know these executive actions will provide much-needed relief and security to families across the country. While there is no substitute for Congressional action, we are joining together across race and place to demand immigration policies that are humane, functional, and just.”

Follow us on Twitter at @BeckyPringle

# # #

The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org.