FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, February 4, 2021
Media Contacts
Janelle Erickson | jerickson@hilltoppublicsolutions.com
The introduction of the DREAM Act to provide a roadmap to citizenship for DACA recipients and other immigrant young people is a good step towards a permanent solution for all 11 million undocumented people.
Washington, D.C. – Today Sen. Durbin (D-IL) and Sen. Graham (R-SC) introduced the DREAM Act. This bill would provide a roadmap to citizenship for nearly 2 million undocumented people, including current DACA recipients those eligible to apply for the program, and others.
On Day 1 of his presidency, President Biden reinforced his support for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and the need for permanent protections for all undocumented people. While DACA is open to new applicants, ongoing litigation continues to cause uncertainty in the lives of DACA recipients and their families. DACA remains at risk in the courts with a ruling from Texas Judge Hanen expected to come at any time.
The We Are Home Campaign said:
“The introduction of the DREAM Act, which seeks to provide a roadmap to citizenship for nearly 2 million undocumented young people is a positive step in living out our vision of an America that welcomes immigrants and recognizes them fully as the Americans they are.
Throughout the unprecedented public health crisis, millions of immigrants – including more than 200,000 DACA recipients – have risked their lives, and the lives of their families, working on the frontlines to protect the health and safety of Americans. The DREAM Act would provide a well-deserved roadmap to citizenship to all DACA recipients, and would also provide relief to young people who are newly eligible for DACA, or people who never qualified in the first place.
The We Are Home Campaign is resolute in the urgent need for Congress to create a long-overdue pathway to citizenship for all 11 million undocumented immigrants, including TPS holders and essential workers who live, work, and contribute to the United States. This is supported by an overwhelming majority of Americans from across the political spectrum. Immigrants wake up every day and go to work in service to our country. It is our moral responsibility to protect them and their families, and to provide them with the dignity they deserve.”
Additional Background: Over the past four years, immigrants have been targets for detention, deportation, and even death. DACA recipients and their allies have fought back against multiple threats to the program since former President Trump first tried to end it in 2017. Despite a resounding victory in favor of DACA at the Supreme Court, a current lawsuit in Texas threatens to subject hundreds of thousands of immigrant young people to deportation or loss of their work permit – all in the middle of an unprecedented public health crisis.
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We Are Home is a nationwide campaign fighting to ensure that “we the people” includes all of us. Our mission is to transform America’s inhumane immigration system. We must undo the damage of the last four years and build a new immigration system that is fair, humane, functional, and centered in racial justice, and respects all people, regardless of race, religion, or birthplace. And we must immediately enact legislation that creates a roadmap to citizenship for every immigrant who calls this country home.. We Are Home is co-chaired by Community Change/Community Change Action; National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA)/Care in Action; Service Employees International Union (SEIU); United Farm Workers (UFW), and United We Dream.