WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the American Immigration Lawyers Association celebrates nine years since the creation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals initiative (better known as DACA) which gave people brought to the U.S. as children an opportunity to apply for temporary protection from deportation. AILA urges Congress to pass the American Dream and Promise Act (H.R. 6) to permanently protect Dreamers.
AILA President Allen Orr, Jr., said, "Today, as the Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing on legislation which would protect Dreamers, Congress has an opportunity to do the right thing and permanently protect DACA recipients. Passing this legislation through bipartisan action would not only benefit the Dreamers themselves, it would be a moral and economic victory for the entire country. As our country begins to build back after this destructive pandemic, we urge Congress to take decisive action and pass the American Dream and Promise Act."
AILA Executive Director Benjamin Johnson added, "DACA recipients and their loved ones deserve better than to continue to live in limbo. They have watched as one president protected them, and another tried to rescind the program. They are watching now to see if the Senate will do the right thing and pass this bill, while a judge in Texas is preparing to rule in a court challenge seeking to strike down the DACA program entirely. The vast majority of Americans from both sides of the aisle support protections for Dreamers. Providing permanent protection for these new Americans is a victory for everyone."
The American Immigration Lawyers Association is the national association of immigration lawyers established to promote justice, advocate for fair and reasonable immigration law and policy, advance the quality of immigration and nationality law and practice, and enhance the professional development of its members.
