Congress Must Make Good on its Commitment to Provide a Long-term Solution
Washington, DC—On Wednesday, June 22, the House Judiciary Committee will mark up H.R. 6, the Dream and Promise Act. The legislation would provide a pathway to citizenship for close to two million DACA recipients and DACA-eligible individuals, TPS holders, and DED recipients.
Geoff Thale, Vice President for Programs at the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), issued the following statement in response to the bill’s introduction:
“The administration’s heartless termination of the DACA, TPS, and DED programs, all of which have been challenged in court, brought fear and uncertainty into the lives of over a million immigrants and their families across the country. Congress has allowed the futures of Dreamers, TPS and DED recipients to dangle in the unknown for too long.
“The Dream and Promise Act is the product of immigrant communities calling for permanent legislation that protects families from being deported to still dangerous and unstable conditions in their countries of origin. Returning thousands of people to economies and societies that will not be able to re-integrate them successfully will only contribute further to the instability and insecurity that generates migration in the first place. Providing permanent status and a pathway to citizenship recognizes the already valuable contributions TPS, DED, and Dreamer populations have given to this country and gives them the stability and security necessary to continue.
“This legislation is a rebuke to just part of President Trump’s all-out offensive against migrants and refugees. Congress should swiftly pass H.R. 6 and should vigorously push back against ineffective and inhumane immigration and border security policies that divide our country, terrorize the immigrant community, and do damage to neighbors and other sending countries.”
