On March 18, the House passed the American Dream and Promise Act of 2021. Several organizations dedicated to advocating for the rights of immigrants and refugees issued statements on the historic passage.
“This is important legislation that will create a long-overdue pathway to citizenship for millions of Dreamers and TPS holders who have built their lives here over decades,” said FWD.us President Todd Schulte in a statement. “Hundreds of thousands are courageously helping keep food on our tables and caring for the sick as essential frontline workers in the fight against COVID-19, even as their own futures are uncertain. Their contributions are vital to our nation’s continued public health and economic recovery, but without a pathway to citizenship, DACA recipients and TPS holders remain at risk of being ripped out of their jobs and separated from their families.”
FWD.us is a bipartisan political organization that believes America’s families, communities, and economy thrive when more individuals are able to achieve their full potential.
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is a policy that allows some individuals in the United States after being brought to the country as children to receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation and become eligible for a work permit.
“Today’s passage of the Dream & Promise Act and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act in the House are victories made possible by our undocumented, youth-led movement and a Black-led, multi-racial political coalition that delivered victories in the House, Senate, and White House in November,” said Greisa Martinez Rosas, executive director of United We Dream. “This moment brings us closer to winning permanent protections for all 11 million undocumented people living in the U.S. and is just the beginning of what our movement will accomplish.”
Made up of over 400,000 members, United We Dream is the largest immigrant youth-led community in the country with 5 statewide branches and over 100 local groups across 28 states.
Lawrence Benito, executive director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) Action and a FIRM Action co-chair, and Becky Belcore, executive director of the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) and NAKASEC Action Fund also issued a joint statement on behalf of FIRM Action:
“We’ve been fighting for decades for a path to citizenship,” said Benito. “We will work to ensure that the bill that is ultimately signed into law eliminates these divisive provisions so that our immigration system fully embraces the undocumented youth, TPS, and DED holders who call this nation home.”
The secretary of Homeland Security may designate a foreign country for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) if conditions in the country meet statutory requirements regarding ongoing armed conflict, natural disasters (including epidemics), or other extraordinary and temporary conditions in the country that temporarily prevent its nationals from returning safely.
Individuals covered by Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) are not subject to removal from the United States for a designated period of time.
“Our fight and vision will always be for citizenship for all 11 million undocumented people. Passage of the American Dream and Promise Act is a step towards fulfilling the vision, but it must be improved before it reaches the President’s desk,” Belcore added.
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