During his State of the Union address Tuesday night, President Joe Biden urged legislation to protect immigrants like DACA recipients and those working in essential jobs. Advocates are trying to get that translated into action. 

Like many before him, Biden said the U.S. immigration system needed an overhaul. He said providing a path to citizenship for DACA recipients and essential workers is the right thing to do, and would also help buoy the economy by addressing labor shortages. 

Ali Noorani with advocacy group National Immigration Forum says those issues find bipartisan support among voters. 

"And that kind of support when you talk to Evangelical voters, much less moderates and independents. At some point, Congress is going to catch up to the American public," he said.   

Noorani’s group is one of more than two dozen part of a newly formed alliance of national political, business and faith groups who say they want to push Congress to make bipartisan reforms. The groups sent a letter to Congressional leaders following the address.

"This Alliance believes that Congress and the White House can come together on immigration reforms that address issues impacting communities across America, including the legal status of Dreamers, farm workers and other immigrants contributing to our communities, the security at our border, and the economic concerns regarding the availability and cost of the food on our tables," the letter read. 

Last year, the Democrat-led reconciliation bill could have offered some of the same protections Biden mentioned in his speech, but never made it to the Senate floor for a vote.