From the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition (http://www.paimmigrant.org):
After the September 2017 recission of DACA, Congress was given the task of fixing the crisis created by the administration, and ensuring that the 800,000 DACA recipients did not lose their access to work permits and protection from deportation. However, even with bi-partisan bills and overwhelming support from voters, Congress was unable to pass any legislation providing legal status for undocumented young people. Now, Members of Congress are circulating a discharge petition to force the House of Representatives to vote on four immigration bills to address the status of DACA beneficiaries and other undocumented youth under a “Queen of the Hill” rule. Under this rule, whatever bill receives the most votes passes. The bills that could be supported through this process are:
- Securing America’s Future Act
- The DREAM Act
- The USA Act
- A fourth bill of Speaker Paul Ryan’s choosing
For more information, read a summary of the process and bills put together by NIF. The discharge petition currently stands at 213 signatures, five signatures short of the 218 needed to force a vote. See the full list of supporters. We need a bill that will protect immigrant youth without increasing funding for more interior enforcement, detention beds, the border wall, or cuts to legal migration. We will not accept legislation that criminalizes and targets one part of our community as the price for protecting another part of our community. Given the likelihood of a vote, now is a good time to call and visit your representative!
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