Absence of Permanent Protections for DREAMers is a Resounding Congressional Failure
Washington DC – Ten years after the creation of DACA, and more than 20 years since the first introduction of the DREAM Act, Congress has failed to pass legislation providing permanent protection for DREAMers. The following is a statement from Theresa Cardinal Brown, BPC managing director of immigration and cross-border policy:
“The absence of any legislation ensuring permanent protections for DREAMers 10 years after DACA is a resounding failure of Congress. As a result of that failure, DACA and the fate of hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients and others who never had a chance to register in the program, are now reliant on the federal courts. DACA recipients are no longer teenagers and students—they are adults, building careers and families in the United States with limited confidence in their immigration status and its potential impact on their futures.
“Punting action on this to the courts is not a way to run our immigration policy or our country. Forcing courts to decide immigration policy on an ad hoc basis has resulted in confusion and uncertainty for DACA recipients, as well as their employers and communities, and is not a permanent fix for an outdated U.S. immigration system.
“Leaders on both sides of the aisle should redouble their efforts to find solutions, build principled compromises, and pass legislation for these individuals.”
In October 2017, BPC’s Immigration Task Force issued policy recommendations to provide a permanent solution for DREAMers in A Roadmap for a DACA Deal. As outlined in this report, broad bipartisan consensus that provides permanent status can be achieved in Congress as long as it is paired with increased border security.
Read the report.
Read BPC’s fact sheet on DACA and DREAMers.
Read Theresa’s op-ed outlining a strategic shift at the southern border in The Hill.
For questions, or to speak with Theresa Cardinal Brown, please contact Communications Associate Hanadi Jordan.