“We are thankful to lawmakers in New York who voted in support of the Dream and Promise Act, vital legislation that will enable more than 180,000 New Yorkers to earn citizenship and continue pursuing the American Dream. Dreamers and TPS holders enrich New York’s communities in countless ways while contributing millions of dollars to our economy every year, helping to drive innovation and create a more vibrant environment for all of us. Protecting these critical communities and ensuring that they and their family members can thrive is good for New York families and good for New York’s economy. We urge the Senate to quickly take up the Dream and Promise Act and pass permanent protections for Dreamers and TPS holders.”

The Dream and Promise Act of 2019 (H.R.6) would create an earned path to citizenship for more than two million people who have contributed to American communities for decades, including DACA recipients, DACA-eligible individuals, TPS holders, and DED recipients. Roughly 180,100 New Yorkers would qualify for permanent protections under this vital legislation. These individuals live with more than 65,000 U.S.-born citizen children and, on average, have lived in the United States since 1997. (Center for American Progress)

Today’s vote is historically significant, and is only the fourth time in more than 30 years that major immigration legislation that provides permanent protections for immigrant communities has passed even one chamber of Congress.

DACA Recipient: Ivy Teng Lei (New York, NY)

Ivy was seven years old when her mother told her they were leaving China to visit Disneyland. She was told it was a secret and didn’t get the chance to say goodbye to her friends. Their trip to Disneyland turned out to be a permanent move to New York City. Ivy has never left the United States since she arrived and has experienced immense struggle since her arrival. She shared an apartment with two other families, 10 people in total, and cat-sized rats. Her mother worked at a garment factory and she helped her fold and package the clothes. She eventually found out that she was undocumented and faced difficulties in applying for aid to attend college. Ivy earned a prestigious scholarship but was heartbroken to find out she needed a social security number to actually receive it. Nevertheless, she was able to work random part-time jobs to save for tuition and attend the City University. She has a corporate job and is incredibly proud of what she has achieved.

DACA Recipient: Nelson Melger (Long Island, NY)

Nelson Melger is a DACA recipient who has been a community activist since 2013. In that capacity, he has lobbied elected officials to pass immigration reforms in both state and federal legislatures for bills such as the Dream Act. He is now the Head of Compliance at a company in the city and will be attending Law School this coming August.

DACA Recipient: Rey Jeronimo Mendez (Staten Island, NY)

Rey Jeronimo Mendez is a student at Borough of Manhattan Community College currently finishing his Associates of Science in Human Services. Rey was born in Valle de Chalco, Mexico. He was brought to the U.S at the age of 2 years old and raised in Staten Island, NY. Rey is one of 700,000 DACA recipients and currently on his 4th renewal. He has served as a Direct Support Specialist for a non-profit organization, where he worked one-on-one with youth placed in the foster care homes. He has worked on a national grassroots advocacy efforts in D.C, spoken at town hall meetings, with elected officials and with immigrant leaders and elected officials in his borough, city and on Capitol Hill.

DACA Recipient: Carlo Barrera Prado (New York, NY)

For the past three and a half years, Carlo has been working and residing in New York, NY as an Elementary School teacher. After moving to the United States from Mexico twenty years ago, Carlo’s future in America was thrown into limbo following the President’s recent decision to rescind DACA. At the age of six, Carlo’s parents brought him into the United States, where, under the work permit provided to him through DACA in 2011. After graduating, he became part of Ernst & Young’s Business Advisory Program for two summers before being offered a full-time position before deciding to pursue his love for education and personal development as a lower school Science teacher.