• December 9th, 2024
  • Monday, 02:29:53 PM

DACA is Under Urgent, Existential Threat


 

Todd Schulte

 

FWD.us is encouraged by the reported bipartisan talks and progress indicating Senators Sinema (D-AZ) and Tillis (R-NC) have a potential framework for compromise legislation that would provide a pathway to citizenship for approximately two million Dreamers, along with investments in border security.

 

DACA is under urgent, existential threat and will likely be terminated by the courts in the near future. The average DACA recipient came to the United States at the age of six and has lived in America for nearly a quarter century. There are approximately 600,000 active DACA recipients and over 400,000 people eligible for DACA but who are currently blocked by a court order.

 

All legislation is a compromise, and while we have not seen the full outlines let alone legislative text, this is the case here. As an organization that believes all undocumented immigrants—TPS holders, farm workers, mothers, uncles, essential workers and more—deserve a pathway to citizenship, we want to note that this framework currently does not provide needed relief to many of them.

 

People should be very clear: if Congress fails to pass legislation during the lame duck period, the consequences will be devastating.

 

There are other parts of this reported framework that are concerning; it is important as this process moves forward, it is critical that any legislation maintain the right to apply for asylum on US soil and that all asylum seekers maintain access to due process.

 

The reported news is the contours of a compromise. It is critical that this process continue to move ahead. We know that those who want to see Dreamers forced out their jobs and subjected to deportation will try to kill any relief. People should be very clear: if Congress fails to pass legislation during the lame duck period, the consequences will be devastating. We commend these Senators for understanding that this is likely their last, best chance to stave off this devastation and take a critical step forward.

 

 

Todd Schulte is the President for FWD.us.

 

 

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