16 NOV 2022

Senate Majority Whip Durbin; Senate Majority Leader Schumer; Senators Menendez, Padilla, Cortez Masto, and DACA Recipients Call on Congress to Legislate Protections for Dreamers After Wide Voter Support in Midterms

WASHINGTON, DC – This afternoon, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and author of the Dream Act; U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY); and U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), along with directly impacted immigrant youth leaders, hosted a press conference to call on Republicans in Congress to work with Democrats before the end of the year to pass permanent protections for immigrant youth.

Dreamers continue to live with the threat of losing their work permits and deportation protections following the 5th Circuit Court’s negative decision on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. If Congress doesn’t act in the lame duck session this year, the courts could end DACA as soon as next year, and an average of 1,000 DACA recipients would lose their jobs each week— in labor market sectors already experiencing shortages, especially in health care, education, and more. DACA— one of the most successful and popular executive programs— allowed over 830,000 young people to live and work without an immediate fear of detention and deportation. Senate Democrats have repeatedly called for permanent legal protections for DACA recipients. With the program still on the chopping block, the Senators and advocates underscored the urgency for Republicans to step up now and work with Democrats on a bipartisan solution before the end of the year. 

“Dreamers are a part of the fabric of our society,” said Senate Majority Whip Durbin (D-IL). “They serve as our teachers, doctors, and other essential workers, making our lives better every day. That is why I introduced the Dream Act more than twenty years ago—to provide them with a path to citizenship. Over a decade ago, I appealed to President Obama to protect Dreamers from deportation until Congress could act. And he did, creating the DACA program, which has protected over 800,000 Dreamers. But DACA was never intended to be a permanent solution—only Congress can provide that,” said Durbin. “MAGA Republicans have made it clear that, if they take control of the House next year, they will block any efforts to protect DACA recipients. The time to act is now. A solution for Dreamers is long overdue. They have been forced to live in fear and uncertainty for far too long. I urge my Republican colleagues to join me and pass the Dream Act before the end of this year.”

“The election is over. Voters rejected the deeply anti-immigrant message of MAGA Republicans and Senate Republicans must now come to the table and offer realistic solutions to fix DACA,” said Senate Majority Leader Schumer (D-NY). “I call on my Republican colleagues to join Democrats and helps us protect our Dreamers. It is cruel and inhumane to keep millions in limbo. Senate Republicans need to work with us on this widely-supported policy so we can reach an agreement that will protect families and strengthen our economy.”

“I encourage my Senate Republican colleagues to put the divisive anti-immigrant rhetoric in the past and join us in this latest effort to protect immigrants and unlock our nation’s economic potential and finally fix a system that we can all agree is broken,” said Senator Menendez (D-NJ). “A decade after DACA was established, you have my commitment that Dreamers and their families are here to stay and we’re going to fight like hell to protect the hundreds of thousands who are eligible for its protections.”

“For too long, we’ve seen bad faith arguments and partisan politics delay immigration reform,” said Senator Padilla (D-CA). “In the ten years since DACA was first established, Dreamers have become deeply embedded into the fabric of our communities. Dreamers have helped significantly grow our economy through their entrepreneurship and paying taxes, all while being forced to live in limbo. It’s time for my Republican colleagues to come to the table, because failing to act would be to deny them the American Dream. We must pass legislation to provide permanent protections once and for all.”

“Dreamers deserve a path to citizenship now,” said Senator Cortez Masto (D-NV). “I’ll always fight for our families, and that includes the Dreamers who are an integral part of our communities. It’s time for my Republican colleagues to put action behind their words and step up.”

“We are in a moment of choice. We can choose to act, and deliver much needed protections for millions of people, or we can choose to give in to the most cynical of thoughts,” said Greisa Martínez Rosas, Executive Director of United We Dream. “Thoughts that tell us we can’t, we won’t, we shouldn’t. I invite you all to join us in defying all of that and instead say: we must! This is our time to finally deliver much needed relief for millions of people.”

"Imagine this, at age 22, pre-DACA in 2012, I couldn’t work or drive, my bike was my only mode of transportation,” said Diego Corzo, DACA recipient from Texas. “With DACA, by age 23 I was able to get a job and buy my first home. By age 26, I owned 8 rental properties giving me financial independence. And now, at age 32, I own over 60 rental properties and run multi-million dollar businesses. But, I still believe I haven’t achieved my full potential yet…and it is because of the uncertainty of not knowing what my future holds. Only Congress can fix this -  we must pass a permanent legislative solution to protect us this lame-duck session, our lives are on the line."

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The Immigration Hub is a national organization dedicated to advancing fair and just immigration policies through strategic leadership, innovative communications strategies, legislative advocacy and collaborative partnerships.