Friend, as I’m sure you know, at the end of 2022, Congress failed to deliver a pathway citizenship for immigrant youth.
I’m going to level with you — this is a huge setback, and we are at the start of an uphill battle with new roadblocks. But that does not change the urgency of the moment or our resolve to use every tool at our disposal to fight alongside immigrant youth.
So, while we are disappointed, we simply do not accept this as the end. Our collective work continues, just as it has many times before in the face of setbacks.
In 2001, after seeing too many immigrant youth placed in deportation proceedings, we helped draft the original bipartisan DREAM Act, which would permanently protect immigrants who came to the U.S. as children. Despite our efforts, the bill did not immediately pass. But this original piece of legislation would later become foundational to our work fighting alongside young immigrants in this country.
From 2001 to 2011, Congress reintroduced the DREAM Act multiple times — but the bill still failed to pass. Notably, Congress was only five votes short of passing the DREAM Act in 2010. While that was a heartbreaking moment for the movement, we persisted and eventually won DACA in 2012.
In 2017, Trump attempted to terminate DACA. But we fought back alongside our courageous plaintiffs all the way to the Supreme Court — and won.
In 2021, we came close to securing a broad pathway to citizenship for 11 million+ immigrants in the Democrats’ reconciliation package, and last month, we fought hard for Congress to include permanent protections for immigrant youth as a key priority in the “lame duck” session. Congress did not deliver, but thanks to the leadership of young people across the country, we came close, drawing national attention to our fight and growing the movement.
Our resilience and tenacity are proof that we have what it takes to keep pressing on. No matter what — we are committed as ever to fighting for permanent protections for immigrant youth and all who come to this country seeking safety and opportunity.
Now, let’s get to work.
Sincerely,
Diana Pliego
Policy Associate
National Immigration Law Center
