News > Immigration In The United States
Congress Must Act to Protect Dreamers
Posted on Sep 14 2023
On September 13 2023, Judge Andrew Hanen, a federal district court judge in Texas, ruled that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program violates U.S. immigration law. For now, current DACA holders can continue to renew DACA, but it is uncertain for how long. Moreover, young people who became eligible for the program after 2017, and young people who entered the country after the cut-off date for the program have no protection while this legal and policy nightmare continues. No protection from deportation. No right to work. No way to move forward with their education, their careers, and their lives.
Today, we ask you to join us in taking action. Let us channel our anger, frustration, and sadness into supporting Minnesota’s 5,000 DACA holders and the thousands of Minnesota immigrant youth who have been unable to apply for the program because of the litigation that has ensued since the Trump administration attempted to end the program in 2017.
Congress must act, but it will only act if members know that supporting DREAMers is a top priority for their constituents. Call your Senators. Call your Congressional Representative. Tell them that Congress should immediately pass a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients and immigrant youth.
The litigation regarding the DACA program is not over. DACA was instituted by the Obama administration in 2012. The legal battle over DACA began in 2017, with an attempt by the Trump administration to end the program. The September 13, 2023 decision from a federal district judge in Texas is the latest in a long series of rulings in litigation attacking DACA. The next step will be an appeal to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Learn more about this decision and what it means for current DACA recipients and immigrant youth in ILCM’s Frequently Asked Questions Fact Sheet.
Call your Senators. Call your Congressional Representative. Tell them that Congress should immediately pass a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients and immigrant youth.
Suggested message:
“As your constituent, I am calling to ask that you swiftly pass a pathway to citizenship for all DREAMers. They are valuable members of our community, who work, study, and pay taxes. They deserve a secure place in our community.
“Dreamers make vital contributions to our communities. Over the next decade, Dreamers who currently have DACA will contribute an estimated $433.4 billion to the GDP if they can continue to work legally in the U.S. They play an essential role in our economy and post-pandemic recovery: nearly 30,000 DACA recipients work in health care across the U.S., and around one million DACA recipients and other Dreamers are essential workers.
“DREAMERs make our communities better.
“Please act today to support Minnesota’s 5,000 DACA holders and the thousands of Minnesota immigrant youth who have been unable to apply for the program. I urge you to support legislation that offers a pathway to permanent status for DACA recipients and other Dreamers.”
You can also support DACA recipients and DREAMers by supporting ILCM. Donate today to help ILCM push for a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients and immigrant youth.