Immigrant rights group Make the Road Action on Wednesday announced its first-ever presidential endorsement for Sen. Bernie Sanders' Democratic bid, saying the Vermont lawmaker's 2020 run "reminds us every day that progressive values and issue priorities are both the right thing to do and the right way to beat Trump."

"We can and we must fight for a country where members of our communities are free to stay, free to move, and free to thrive," said Make the Road co-executive director Javier H. Valdés in a statement. "And we are proud to fight alongside Bernie Sanders to realize that vision."

Make the Road Action is one of the nation's largest immigrant rights groups, with tens of thousands of members across the country and a particularly strong presence in Nevada, one of the early states in 2020 Democratic primary voting. The organization has members as well in Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

In a statement, Sanders thanked the group for its support and pledged to continue to work toward positive change in the country's immigration system and beyond.

"I'm proud to have their support," said Sanders, "and I look forward to continuing to work with them to create a humane immigration system, to stand up for tenants' and workers' rights as we tackle corporate greed, and to stop the mass criminalization of Black and Brown people across this country."

According to Politico, Sanders won the endorsement of the group after an internal process:

Make the Road Action's members and leadership ultimately picked Sanders, citing his immigration plan, which would place a moratorium on deportations and break up the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection agencies — two proposals that Warren has not backed outright. The group also credited Sanders for his proposals to protect tenants with "just cause" eviction requirements and a national rent control standard.