Representatives in the House have introduced two pieces of legislation that will provide “Dreamers,” or children who came to the US without status or overstayed their status, with the chance to apply for legal permanent residency (green card status) in the US and eventually to apply to naturalize to become US citizens. The Dream Act of 2017 is led by Representatives Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL), and the American Hope Act was sponsored by Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (CA), Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (MD), Luis Gutierrez (IL) and members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
AILA lauded these pieces of legislation: “These bills make clear that there is bipartisan support for Dreamers that literally reaches across our nation with Representatives Roybal-Allard of California and Ros-Lehtinen of Florida leading the charge. Many leaders in Congress recognize that protecting Dreamers is good for America. At a time when the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) has come under threat, action by Congress is vitally important to ensure these young men and women are protected from being ripped from their communities. Dreamers are emblematic of the future of our great nation and these aspiring Americans deserve an opportunity to secure a permanent home in our country.”
President Trump should also protect DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients by vowing that the Administration will maintain the DACA program until there is a law to protect Dreamers.