Addressing the difficult situation of undocumented Irish emigrants in the United States and working to secure legal pathways for Irish people seeking to live and work in the US continues to be a key priority for the Government.
Immigration matters are raised on a regular and ongoing basis with the United States government and U.S. political representatives.
The Government actively supports the efforts of President Biden’s administration to achieve comprehensive immigration reform. While comprehensive reform that identifies a clear pathway for undocumented Irish citizens to regularize their status would be the optimal solution, we should not underestimate the major obstacles to achieving this, given the political sensitivities of immigration issues in the United States, including in Congress.
During my visit to Washington in February, I raised the question of more access to visas for Irish citizens with politicians on both sides of the aisle. In March, I visited Massachusetts where I raised the specific issue of Irish citizens who are undocumented with Congressman Richie Neal. Representative Neal is co-Chair of the Congressional Friends of Ireland, and has been a steadfast advocate for the undocumented Irish over many years. During that visit, I also spent time with organisations in New York and Boston that are actively supporting the Irish diaspora. My Department provided over €4.2 million in Emigrant Support Programme Funding this year to organisations that provide ongoing, valuable assistance to our citizens, including the undocumented, in the United States.
The Minister of State for the Diaspora, Seán Fleming, also met with organisations in receipt of Emigrant Support Funding during his visit to the United States in June, where he was able to see first-hand the very real and practical assistance that they provide to Irish immigrants, including the undocumented.
In August, I raised the issue of identifying potential new immigration pathways and finding solutions for our citizens with unresolved immigration status during a meeting in Dublin with bipartisan U.S. Congressional Delegations led by Senator Chris Murphy (D) and Congressman Pat Fallon (R).
In addition to this support and to our engagement at the Federal level through our Embassy in Washington DC, our eight Consulates General in the U.S. proactively seek opportunities to improve the day-to-day lives of the Irish undocumented, including by working with local state legislatures.
An example of this is in Massachusetts, where legislation enabling residents to apply for drivers' licences, irrespective of their immigration status, came into effect earlier this year. The Consulate General of Ireland in Boston led a sustained campaign in support of this reform for many years, and I strongly welcomed the passage of this law, which makes a modest but appreciable difference in the lives of undocumented Irish citizens in Massachusetts. I discussed this legislation with Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey during her visit to Dublin at the end of June.
