Washington, DC – The following is a statement from Vanessa Cárdenas, Executive Director of America’s Voice, reacting to the Senate introduction of the DREAM Act.
“The 2023 introduction of the DREAM Act, from Senators Durbin (D-IL) and Graham (R-SC), is a reminder that popular, common sense immigration solutions remain on the table to resolve Dreamers’ plight and strengthen the country.
While we don’t hold out much hope in congressional Republicans finally working in good faith to enact this long overdue legislative priority given how Republicans are approaching immigration overall, it represents the type of measure that a more functional Congress should be passing: citizenship for Dreamers and other long-settled immigrants remains an overwhelmingly popular issue; the urgency of action for Dreamers remains, especially due to the looming end of DACA due to GOP legal challenges; and our economy calls out for more workers being allowed to work legally, including immigrants who are already here and deeply ingrained in American communities.
The DREAM Act also reminds us that the relentless policy focus on the border is only one piece of the immigration issue and that our focus should be broader. Legal status for immigrants here would help open up legal avenues for migration that would take pressure off of the border. In order to address what is needed for our immigration system writ large, we need to look at the broader issues and our thinking must expand to encompass the larger reality that holistic immigration reforms are sorely needed – including popular solutions for Dreamers.”
