Protect Dreamers with the Dream and Promise Act
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**UPDATE (06/18/20):**In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration illegally terminated the DACA program. In the decision, the Court noted that the administration could still legally terminate DACA if they follow the appropriate processes, making legislative protections for DACA even more important.
UPDATE (06/04/19): In a 237-187 vote, the House has passed H.R. 6, the Dream and Promise Act. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.
In late 2017 and early 2018 Donald Trump ordered the termination of the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and revocation of hundreds of thousands of immigrants’ Temporary Protected Status (TPS). The DACA program protects approximately 800,000 undocumented people who entered the US as minors from deportation and gave them access to work permits and education. TPS allows over 300,000 immigrants from countries affected by natural disasters, violence, and other dangers to remain in the US until conditions in their home nations improve. Court injunctions have allowed both DACA and TPS protections to remain in place while lawsuits proceed, keeping DACA and TPS recipients in limbo.
Because the Supreme Court leans conservative, reversal of the current lower court injunctions is likely. A permanent legislative fix is needed immediately to protect DACA and TPS recipients. House Democrats’ Dream and Promise Act of 2019 (HR 6) would provide permanent legal protections and a pathway to citizenship for DACA and TPS recipients. The bill would let TPS recipients who have been in the US since fall 2016 apply for green cards, and, after five years, full citizenship. DACA recipients could apply for “conditional permanent residency” after meeting certain requirements; after receiving conditional residency, they could then apply for a green card after completing two years of a bachelor’s or technical program, receiving a degree from an institution of higher education, serving in the military for two years, or working for three years. If passed, the Dream and Promise Act could help as many as 2.5 million people obtain legal status and put them on a path to citizenship. Demand your members of Congress support H.R. 6 to protect DACA and TPS recipients.
