NHCSL Endorses Reintroduction of the American Dream and Promise Act

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (TX) was joined by Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar (FL), along with almost 200 of their colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives, in the reintroduction of the American Dream and Promise Act. In response, the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) released the following statement:

“NHCSL endorses the American Dream and Promise Act, a solid first step towards the much-needed comprehensive immigration reform our Caucus has called for on multiple occasions. We thank these Members of Congress for their leadership, and look forward to working with Congress to pass it. We ask that President Trump keep his word to Dreamers and support and sign this legislation. And we will continue to push for further legislation to fulfill other immigration promises, such as granting residency and a path to citizenship to COVID-19 farmworkers and other essential pandemic workers. It’s not only the right thing to do for our communities, it’s in the best economic interests of every person living in the United States.

“This bill would protect and grant eligible Dreamers conditional permanent residence for ten years and cancel removal proceedings; provide a pathway to citizenship for eligible Dreamers by granting full Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status; provide Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders or Deferred Enforcement Departure (DED) with LPR status; protect both Dreamers and individuals with TPS or DED during their application for relief under the American Dream and Promise Act; allow eligible Dreamers located abroad to apply for relief; provide eligible Dreamers with access to federal financial aid; and prevent penalizing states that grant in-state tuition to undocumented students based on residency.

“These are policies that NHCSL has long advocated for —and have been adopted as part of our Caucus’ policy positions through our Res. 2017-07, Encouraging the Continuity of the DACA and DAPA Programs; Res. 2017-18, Regarding the Impact of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program on Educational Attainment and Community Stability; and Res. 2018-08, End the Uncertainty and Create a Pathway to Citizenship for Dreamers Now— because their impact would not only benefit individuals and families, but would also greatly benefit our entire nation.”

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The National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) is the premier national association of Hispanic state legislators working to design and implement policies and procedures that will improve the quality of life for Hispanics throughout the country. NHCSL was founded in 1989 as a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization with the mission to be the most effective voice for the more than 450 Hispanic legislators. For more information visit www.nhcsl.org.