From Moms Rising (https://www.momsrising.org/):
We always knew the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was only a band aid solution for Dreamers, young people who came to the U.S. as children and only know the U.S. as their home. But we didn’t know it was going to be such a legal and emotional rollercoaster for DACA recipients — the legal blows to the program have not stopped and the most recent court ruling has left the future of Dreamers in jeopardy.
*This is an emergency: Go to https://action.momsrising.org/sign/immigration-citizenship-reconciliation-2021 to tell your members of Congress to support a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients in the next reconciliation package. *When you click, you’ll automatically sign on if we already have your information.
What’s happening? On July 16th, a federal judge out of Texas made one of the most devastating decisions on the DACA program that we have ever seen. No new applications will be approved leaving approximately 81,000 new applicants [1] without the ability to lawfully stay here in their homes, work and support their families, or go to college. Nearly a million of these young people have been working as essential workers throughout the COVID crisis, risking their lives to keep our communities afloat. The July 16th decision does allow for current DACA recipients to renew their applications but it leaves the door open for further attacks on the program.
Sign on! Tell Congress that NOW is the time to act on DACA! We need a pathway to citizenship in the next reconciliation package! *When you click, you’ll automatically sign on if we already have your information.
Right now, Congress has the opportunity to end the uncertainty for DACA recipients and pass legislation that will help not only DACA recipients but also essential workers, like farmworkers, and TPS holders, get on a pathway to citizenship. Nearly one million Dreamers [2] have been working in essential roles across the country, throughout the course of the pandemic. Not to mention the more than 5 million overall immigrants who have helped keep us afloat throughout the pandemic. Our survival through the last year and our continued recovery is due to immigrants like DACA recipients who work as doctors, nurses, grocery store clerks, teachers, sanitation workers, farmworkers, caregivers and much more.
If Congress keeps a pathway to citizenship in the next reconciliation package it will not only help thousands of families but it will also help our economy. Including a pathway to citizenship in the next reconciliation package will boost our GDP by $1.5 trillion and help create over 400,000 new jobs over 10 years. [3]
Members of Congress:
We have put our immigrant community through enough political roller coasters. We must give DACA recipients, essential workers, and TPS holders a pathway to citizenship in the next infrastructure and recovery package.
Immigrants are such a vital part of our essential workforce every day, as well as of our communities, and this has become especially apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic. Immigrants have put their lives on the line to keep our health care system and our economy going, and are essential not only to our communities and families, but also to America’s recovery. The roles of immigrants in our communities are critical to building a strong care infrastructure, and supporting families and mothers trying to return to work.
Dreamers make up nearly one million of those who have served on the frontlines of this pandemic and they need a pathway to citizenship. Leaving the immigrant community to wait through uncertainty is harmful for all of our communities and our economy. Immigrants are essential to our country, communities, and economy and Americans know this. Roughly 75 percent of Americans believe all immigrants should have a path to stay in the U.S. legally.
Including a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients, essential workers, and TPS holders in the next infrastructure and recovery package is necessary to offer stability to those who have worked so hard to keep our country afloat and to build the care infrastructure that our families, communities and our economy so urgently need for parents to return to work. Moreover, creating a path to citizenship for immigrants is expected to boost our GDP by $1.5 trillions and help create over 400,000 new jobs over 10 years.
**Make sure to sign our letter now calling on Congress to quickly pass President Biden’s fair immigration plan. *When you click, you’ll automatically sign on if we already have your information.
The more people who speak out, the bigger our impact. Please take a moment to forward our action link to your friends and family and share it on social media: https://action.momsrising.org/sign/immigration-citizenship-reconciliation-2021/
Together we are a powerful voice for the wellbeing of immigrant children and parents.
P.S. Can you take second to write a letter to the editor for your local paper in support of a pathway to citizenship for immigrants? Our letter to the editor tool makes this super fast and easy: CLICK THIS LINK
[1] CBS News: Biden administration assigns more staff to review DACA applications as backlog soars[2] FWD.US: Estimates show immigrant essential workers are crucial to America’s COVID-19 recovery
[3] Center for American Progress: Citizenship for undocumented immigrants would boost U.S. economic growth
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