WASHINGTON, DC – This week, nearly 150 Dreamers from more than 25 states across the country flew to Washington, DC, to meet with Members of Congress to share their stories and to highlight the need for urgent passage of the Dream Act. This crucial bill would implement a permanent legislative solution for DACA recipients, including an earned pathway to citizenship for hardworking young individuals who came here as children.
Over the span of two days, Dreamers participated in more than 100 meetings with Members of Congress and their staff. They also joined a press conference with Senators Dick Durbin and Lindsey Graham to highlight the October 5th deadline for eligible Dreamers to renew DACA and the urgent need for the passage of the Dream Act. FWD.us President Todd Schulte issued the following statement about today’s DACA deadline and the Dreamer meetings with Members of Congress:
“Today marks the final deadline for DACA renewals – the final day that anyone will be able to apply for a work permit and deportation protection under this program. It is a difficult day for hundreds of thousands of Dreamers and tens of millions of their friends, families, and colleagues. These DACA recipients – who, on average, came to this country at the age of 6 and are now 26 years old – face an uncertain future, and live with the fear of being ripped out of their jobs and community.”
“There are only two paths forward: either Congress can act now and pass urgent legislation like the Dream Act, or our nation will be responsible for forcing 800,000 out of their jobs, subjecting them to immediate deportation, and using the very information they gave to the government in good faith to find, arrest and deport them.”
“That is why it is so important for Members of Congress to hear directly from Dreamers themselves. We are thankful to fight alongside the nearly 150 Dreamers who came to D.C. this week to meet directly with their representatives to encourage them to pass the Dream Act. We had over 100 meetings, primarily with Republican Senators, Members of Congress and their staff.”
“Congress must hear the voices of these incredible individuals and urgently take action to ensure they can continue to live, work, and contribute to the only country most have ever known. The time of reckoning has arrived; every individual must ask what they will do to fight for a Dream Act, and every Member of Congress owes the American people a vote.”
Photos courtesy of FWD.us
