Press Release
American Dream and Promise Act puts DACA and TPS recipients on a pathway to citizenship
WASHINGTON—Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairman Joaquin Castro and over 100 House Democrats sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell urging him to bring H.R 6 to a vote. Over 330,000 DACA recipients and TPS holders are supporting our nation during this crisis by serving as "essential critical infrastructure workers," according to DHS guidance. The Supreme Court could rule today or in the near future on President’s Trump decision to terminate DACA protections.
“We renew our urgent call for you to bring H.R. 6 for a vote in the Senate upon your return in May,” the Members wrote.“The future of over a million people who have proven their dedication to this nation, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and who have shown remarkable resilience in their ability to become productive U.S. citizens hangs in the balance due to inaction.”
The letter was signed by Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Co-author of H.R. 6 Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40), Co-author of H.R. 6 Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (NY-12), Co-author of H.R. 6 Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-9), and dozens of others.
See full list of signatories (listed by state) below the text of their letter.
Dear Senate Majority Leader McConnell,
We urge you to convene a vote to consider passage of H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act of 2019, upon the Senate’s return in May. Given the importance of this issue and the broad bipartisan support of the bill, the Senate should act quickly to send this legislation to the President’s desk. Although the Congress is focused every day in leading America’s recovery efforts in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, we must concurrently move forward to fulfill this important promise to the approximately 2.6 million individuals who are Americans in every single way except on paper.
On June 4, 2019, the House passed the American Dream and Promise Act, which put Dreamers and long-term beneficiaries of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) on a pathway to citizenship. As you may know, the average DACA recipient came to the United States at the age of six, while the average TPS holder has been in the country for 22 years.[1] Each year, they pay billions of dollars in federal, state, and local taxes and power the U.S. economy through their earnings, contributions, and entrepreneurship.[2] In fact, deporting Dreamers could reduce economic growth by $280 billion.[3] As the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has said, “Ending DACA would be a nightmare for Dreamers. A nightmare for businesses. A nightmare for America’s economy.”[4] Furthermore, these individuals are vital in sustaining our health care system and economy, as our country responds to COVID-19. In fact, over 330,000 DACA recipients[5]and TPS holders[6] are helping to support the nation in this time of crisis by serving in occupations and industry groups that render them "essential critical infrastructure workers" according to DHS guidance.
Collectively, DACA recipients and TPS holders, have nearly 500,000 U.S. citizen children and hundreds of thousands more U.S. citizen parents, spouses, and siblings.[7] If deported, many individuals would return to countries they never knew and for others forced back to countries suffering from extreme poverty and violence. The administration’s own advisors, from ambassadors to headquarters diplomatic personnel have warned the administration that allowing TPS to end would undermine important national and regional security interests.[8] Senators should have the opportunity to permanently keep these families together and legally end the uncertainty they are enduring and ensure their rightful place in this country. It is past time that the Senate join the U.S. House of Representatives in standing in solidarity with Dreamers and TPS holders and pass this common-sense legislation.
We renew our urgent call for you to bring H.R. 6 for a vote in the Senate upon your return in May. The future of over a million people who have proven their dedication to this nation, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and who have shown remarkable resilience in their ability to become productive U.S. citizens hangs in the balance due to inaction. We can change that and deliver a win for our country.
Signatories from the US House of Representatives, April 22, 2020
Listed here by state.
ARIZONA
Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-2)
Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-3)
Ruben Gallego (AZ-7)
CALIFORONIA
Jared Huffman (CA-2)
John Garamendi (CA-3)
Doris O. Matsui (CA-6)
Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-7)
Josh Harder (CA-10)
Barbara Lee (CA-13)
Jim Costa (CA-16)
Anna G. Eshoo (CA-18)
Zoe Lofgren (CA-19), Immigration Subcommittee Chair
Jimmy Panetta (CA-20)
TJ Cox (CA-21)
Salud Carbajal (CA-24)
Julia Brownley (CA-26)
Judy Chu (CA-27)
Adam B. Schiff (CA-28)
Tony Cárdenas (CA-29)
Pete Aguilar (CA-31)
Grace F. Napolitano (CA-32)
Karen Bass (CA-33)
Jimmy Gomez (CA-34)
Norma J. Torres (CA-35)
Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36)
Linda T. Sánchez (CA-38)
Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr. (CA-39)
Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40), Co-author of H.R. 6
Mark Takano (CA-41)
Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44)
J. Luis Correa (CA-46)
Alan Lowenthal (CA-47)
Mike Levin (CA-49)
Juan Vargas (CA-51)
Scott H. Peters (CA-52)
Susan A. Davis (CA-53)
COLORADO
Diana DeGette (CO-1)
Joe Neguse (CO-2)
Jason Crow (CO-06)
CONNECTICUT
John B. Larson (CT-01)
Rosa DeLauro (CT-03)
Jahana Hayes (CT-5)
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At Large)
FLORIDA
Darren Soto (FL-9)
Frederica S. Wilson (FL-17)
Alcee L. Hastings (FL-20)
Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (FL-26)
ILLINOIS
Bobby L. Rush (IL-1)
Jesús "Chuy" García (IL-04)
Danny K. Davis (IL-7)
Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08)
Jan Schakowsky (IL-9)
MARYLAND
David Trone (MD-6)
Jamie Raskin (MD-8)
MASSACHUSETTS
James P. McGovern (MA-2)
Lori Trahan (MA-3)
Joseph P. Kennedy III (MA-4)
Katherine M. Clark (MA-5)
Ayanna Pressley (MA-7)
MICHIGAN
Rashida Tlaib (MI-13)
MINNESOTA
Betty McCollum (MN-4)
MISSISSIPPI
Bennie G. Thompson (MS-2)
MISSOURI
Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO-5)
NEVADA
Dina Titus (NV-3)
NEW JERSEY
Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06)
Albio Sires (NJ-8)
Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12)
NEW MEXICO
Deb Haaland (NM-01)
Xochitl Torres Small (NM-02)
Ben Ray Luján (NM-3)
NEW YORK
Grace Meng (NY-6)
Nydia Velázquez (NY-7), Co-author of H.R. 6
Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12)
Yvette D. Clarke (NY-9), Co-author of H.R. 6
Jerrold Nadler (NY-10), Judiciary Committee Chairman
Adriano Espaillat (NY-13)
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14)
José E. Serrano (NY-15)
Thomas R. Suozzi (NY-16)
Paul D. Tonko (NY-20)
NORTH CAROLINA
Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. (NC-12)
NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS
Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (Northern Marina Islands-At Large)
OREGON
Suzanne Bonamici (OR-1)
Earl Blumenauer (OR-3)
Peter DeFazio (OR-04)
PENNSYLVANIA
Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02)
RHODE ISLAND
David N. Cicilline (RI-1)
TEXAS
Al Green (TX-9)
Veronica Escobar (TX-16)
Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29)
Filemon Vela (TX-34)
Lloyd Doggett (TX-35)
VIRGINIA
Jennifer Wexton (VA-10)
Gerald E. Connolly (VA-11)
WASHINGTON
Pramila Jayapal (WA-7)
Adam Smith (WA-9)
WISCONSIN
Mark Pocan (WI-2)
Gwen Moore (WI-4)
