LWVUS Urges Congress to Protect Dreamers

Senate and House leadership announced that protecting Dreamers is a high priority in the remaining time of the 117th Congress, leading the League to urge Congress to follow through and pass a bill. People who are protected by DACA, their families, and their communities deserve the peace of mind to build their lives and futures in the United States. 

November 18, 2022

U.S House of Representatives
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20002

RE: LWVUS Urges Congress to Protect Dreamers

Dear Members of Congress:

The League of Women Voters of the United States was pleased to hear from Senate and House leadership this week that protecting Dreamers is a high priority in the remaining time of the 117^th Congress. On behalf of our nearly half million members and volunteers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, we urgently request Congress to pass legislation to protect Dreamers from future attempts to dismantle the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and give these individuals the desperately needed security to plan productive futures in the United States.

There should be no delay in taking action to protect the Dreamers. There are many parts of the immigration system that urgently need fixing but protecting DACA recipients is paramount. In the past few years, there have been limited opportunities in which the leadership of both chambers had the political will and sufficient support to pass immigration reform legislation that would help people who are protected by DACA. Now is one of those moments. Individuals who benefit from DACA live in every state and every congressional district and they have heard decades of promises. All the while, they have lived with the fear of deportation looming at the mercy of whoever was in power. The people impacted are our neighbors, teachers, healthcare workers, and employers. In the American spirit of equality and opportunity, they deserve security and, ultimately, a path to citizenship.

For decades, the League of Women Voters has supported a fair and equitable immigration system and path to citizenship. Since the 111^th Congress, the League has lobbied in support of the Dream Act. Over the past decade, failure to pass the Dream Act has prevented hundreds of thousands of young undocumented college students and graduates from using their education and skills to fill workforce shortages in high-need professions, such as health care, teaching, and engineering/technology. DACA only provided a temporary reprieve from deportation and was never intended to be a permanent solution.

For far too long, these individuals who are part of the fabric of America have not been fully recognized. There should be no doubt that these individuals are worthy of protection from deportation and a path toward permanent status and citizenship. People who are protected by DACA, their families, and their communities deserve the peace of mind to build their lives and futures, which so many of us born in this country take for granted. The League of Women Voters strongly urges you to protect Dreamers and stands ready to work with you to pass legislation quickly.

Sincerely,

Virginia Kase Solomón
CEO, LWVUS