Today, Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Richard Durbin (D-IL) introduced a 2017 version of the Dream Act. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ) are also co-sponsors.
Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice, said this:
America’s Voice applauds the introduction of the new Dream Act. The DACA program is and always has been an interim step. Dreamers deserve a chance to fully stabilize their status and become full American citizens, which requires a change in law.
In the meantime, though, DACA has been an unmitigated success, and the Trump Administration must continue the policy in full force: enrolling new young people as they become eligible and ensuring that renewals are processed fairly.
Juan Escalante, Community Engagement Manager with America’s Voice and a DACA beneficiary, said:
The DACA program has been a tremendous success. It allowed me to pursue an advanced degree, contribute to my local community, and live a life free from the fear of deportation.
It is time for political allies and community leaders to take a stand and pledge to protect the DACA program and prevent Dreamers from serving as deportation targets.
Dreamers should not be exposed to the threat of deportation while Congress works on a legislative solution. That is why the Trump Administration must defend DACA and honor the promise that the United States made to hundreds of thousands of young people who, like myself, registered with the government and passed a background check to have a chance to improve their lives and their future.”
Clearly, there are detractors within the Trump Administration who want to end DACA, but cancelling a policy that is so beneficial and popular would be a colossal mistake.
Sharry concluded:
The moment of truth has arrived. People of good will from across the political spectrum must take a stand. We must stand up for Dreamers and insist that DACA be kept in place until Congress can pass a clean version of the Dream Act or broader immigration reform. We must stand up for immigrant families who are settled in America and contribute so much to the country they now call home. And we must stand up against an agenda focused on deporting millions of hardworking immigrants with deep ties to America.
DACA has made it possible for hundreds of thousands of young people to pursue their dreams, and that is a beautiful thing. Our government must not take that away.
