John,

The United States has long been a refuge for those pursuing a better life, yet many who came here as children are still facing considerable uncertainty. 11 years ago, the Obama administration established the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy.

In those 11 years, DACA recipients have been in a state of legal limbo, going from one court case to another, never knowing if they will lose their work permits and protections from deportation. Now it’s possible Congress is finally ready to remedy that.

Representative Sylvia Garcia (TX-29) has introduced the American Dream and Promise Act of 2023 with bipartisan support. If passed, the American Dream and Promise Act of 2023 would create a "conditional permanent resident" status, valid for up to ten years, safeguarding immigrants who came here as children from deportation. It also enables travel abroad and work authorization in the United States.

To qualify, immigrants must meet age, residency, criminal record, and educational criteria. The bill also includes provisions for "Documented Dreamers" – children of certain temporary workers who arrived in the U.S. at the age of 18 or younger and have been continuously present since January 1, 2021.

This legislation will provide immense relief to DACA recipients, and will also help many who entered the US through Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) status. They were admitted because they were escaping disastrous conditions in their home country, and have lived here for years. It’s critical that Congress passes the American Dream and Promise Act of 2023 to keep families — and communities — together.

SIGN THE PETITION: Demand Congress pass the American Dream and Promise Act of 2023

By not passing a permanent legislative solution in the 11 years of the DACA program’s existence, Congress has kept millions of Dreamers, families, and communities in a state of limbo. More than 1.3 million people lived with a DACA recipient in 2021, including 300,000 U.S.-born children who have at least one parent with DACA.¹

Without passing protections for DACA recipients, the U.S. will lose more than 500,000 workers—34,000 are healthcare workers providing patient care, and another 11,000 individuals are working in health care settings keeping these facilities functioning. At a time of worker shortages, loss of these valued employees would hurt us. The U.S. economy will lose as much as $11.7 billion annually—or roughly $1 billion monthly—in wages from previously employed DACA recipients.²

We know that the DACA policy is morally right and just. Thousands of undocumented youth have bravely shared their stories, forced the nation to reckon with the injustices towards immigrant communities, and demanded an end to deportations tearing apart families and communities.

We must honor their courage and sacrifices—and their continued contributions to our communities—and come together to provide them with longer-term security. That would be a much-needed step towards permanent status and citizenship.

Join CHN and our immigration allies in calling on Congress to pass the American Dream and Promise Act of 2023

Thank you for all you do,

Deborah Weinstein
Executive Director, Coalition on Human Needs

¹ RELEASE: New CAP Data Confirm DACA Is a Positive Force For Recipients and Their Families
² VOA: DACA Becomes Federal Regulation, but Future Still Uncertain