tags: , , , , , , , AVEF, Press Releases

Frank Sharry on Dream and TPS House Votes: “Yesterday, We Moved Towards a More Expansive and Welcoming America”

Share This:

The following is a statement from Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice, after yesterday’s House Judiciary Committee passage of new and permanent protections for Dreamers, TPS holders and DED recipients.

Yesterday, we moved towards a more expansive and welcoming America. The House Judiciary Democrats approved a strong bill that creates a roadmap to citizenship for Dreamers and TPS and DED holders. In addition, the Committee approved a safe haven bill for Venezuelans in the U.S.

Each of the 2.5 million individuals who would benefit are Americans in all but paperwork. These are longtime residents, valued students and workers, and part of American families in communities all across the country.

As the Trump administration portrays immigrants as threats and invaders, yesterday’s votes remind us of an America rooted in our founding ideals. Our nation was birthed with a radical idea – that all of us are created equal; that all of us, regardless of background and birthplace, deserve equal opportunities and equal justice; that we are Americans not by virtue of our bloodline or creed, but because we embrace shared ideas and ideals.

We have not yet fully realized this promise, but our democracy calls on us to be protagonists in pursuing it. The movement of Dreamers and TPS/DED holders, with allies from many sectors in America, worked with House Democrats to take another step on the long journey toward an America as good as its ideals.

We want to thank the members of Congress whose leadership, collaboration, and votes helped move these important measures forward. In particular, we salute the leadership and commitment of Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Immigration Subcommittee Chair Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), longtime immigrant advocate Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), and first year Member Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-FL). In addition, we thank key House sponsors Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) and Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY) and their dedicated staff who put in countless hours behind the scenes.

It’s now time for the full House to affirm what the American public already know: it is time for our elected representatives to do what the vast majority of Americans want, which is to extend formal recognition to Dreamers and TPS/DED holders as the Americans they already are. Approving legislation that is overwhelmingly supported by the American people is uncontroversial and should be approved without delay.