A new path in Washington State politics.
Too many elected leaders are grandstanding on the immigration issue for social media clicks and likes — while millions live in the shadows. By bringing millions of workers into the formal tax system, the United States expands its revenue base while restoring order and predictability to immigration policy.
There are an estimated 15 million undocumented immigrants in our country. This is the result of poor leadership with protecting our borders, while neglecting the need for a fair and predictable immigration policy.
Watching scenes of masked federal agents arresting people is unsettling. At the rate of enforcement today, it would take 17 years to deport all of the undocumented. Current policy is unrealistic.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) needs to be dissolved and replaced by a new agency whose statutory mandate is strictly limited to national security threats, violent criminals and felony fugitives. Non-criminal immigration enforcement should be returned to U.S. Customs & Border Protection, who will be responsible for managing visa overstays and illegal border crossings.
Undocumented residents arriving before January 1, 2020, could apply for "Dignity Status" (Purple Card). This status confers work authorization and travel rights but explicitly bars voting and federal welfare access. Card holders would not be eligible to apply for citizenship at least after 14 years, or not at all.
Cascade supports the bi-partisan H.R.4393 - (Dignity) Act of 2025 towards negotiating a new immigration policy. This bill includes stricter border security, while at the same time being realistic with undocumented who are working and contributing to our economy.
Let's establish a new kind of residency and have immigration law enforcement go after criminals.
By Pela Selene Terry, Ed.D. (November 17, 2025)
The Failure to Protect Basic Rights and the Inhumanity of Frenzied Immigration Enforcements. We must push for better immigration policies.
By Damon Townsend and Krist Novoselić (September 26, 2025)
Immigration is yet another issue caught up in polarized politics. Let's use the legislative process to craft a predictable and fair immigration policy. Cascade Party Washington wants to discuss an immigration policy which balances enforcement with opportunity. The time has come for the politicization and resulting anxiety to stop.
