HACU and ACE release statements on President Biden’s Immigration Plan

 

POSTED ON Jan 22, 2021

 

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) has commended President Biden for sending the Citizenship Act of 2021 to Congress on the first day of his administration. According to HACU, this action demonstrates a commitment to providing a pathway to citizenship for 11 million people across the United States.

“We are thrilled that the administration has chosen a comprehensive approach that addresses the needs of entire families in obtaining access to a pathway to citizenship,” said HACU President and CEO Antonio R. Flores in the statement. “HACU is committed to working with the administration and advocating on the Hill for the passage of this long-overdue legislation.”

HACU has been a long-standing champion for immigration reform, including advocacy for the passage of the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, which was first introduced in 2001 by Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT). The DREAM Act would create a process by which immigrants brought to the U.S. as children could apply for a conditional residency that would lead to permanent residency.

“We applaud President Biden for acting swiftly to protect the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and propose legislation making the program permanent and DREAMers eligible for citizenship,” said American Council of Education president Ted Mitchell.

An issue paper published by the American Council of Education noted that despite numerous reintroductions in each Congress from 2001 to 2020, the DREAM Act has failed to pass.

In June 2012, President Obama established the DACA policy by executive action. DACA allowed undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States at a young age to become eligible for a work permit, a Social Security card, a driver’s license, and deferred deportation. The Trump administration rescinded the policy on Sept. 5, 2017.

“We look forward to working with the new administration and Congress to ensure that these outstanding young people can make decisions about their education, jobs, or serving in the military, and keep contributing their best to America, the only country they have ever called home,” Mitchell added.

According to the Pew Research Center, approximately 800,000 young unauthorized immigrants have received work permits and protection from deportation through DACA since its creation. In a letter to Congress dated September 6, 2017, a group of 64 advocacy organizations estimated that a fifth of the 800,000 DACA recipients is currently enrolled in college.

More than nine-in-ten DACA recipients were born in Latin America, Pew Research says. Mexico is the top country of origin for active DACA recipients (548,000), followed by El Salvador (25,900), Guatemala (17,700), and Honduras (16,100).

A significant number of DACA recipients also hail from Peru (7,420), South Korea (7,310), Brazil (5,780), Ecuador (5,460), Colombia (5,020), and Argentina (3,970). By region, almost all current DACA recipients were born in Mexico or Central or South America (648,430, or 94%). Another 18,940 (3%) were born in Asia, followed by the Caribbean (8,350), Europe (5,190), and Africa (4,240).