As the Supreme Court has recognized, our nation can continue to protect Dreamers. 

WASHINGTON — Over 100 House Democrats and Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) led by Chairman Joaquin Castro and Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, lead author of the American Dream and Promise Act (H.R. 6), are calling on President Trump to use his executive authority to protect Dreamers and to also endorse H.R. 6, bipartisan legislation that provides permanent protections to Dreamers. Last week, the Supreme Court’s landmark decision rejected the Trump administration’s repeal of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

“The American Dream and Promise Act has now been pending in the Senate for more than a year.  Without your support, it is unlikely that Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell will schedule it for a vote,” the Members wrote. “It would be an American tragedy to deport DACA recipients who are saving lives in the midst of this pandemic. We must ensure these talented young immigrants are not forced to stop working when the need for their public service has never been greater.”

The letter was signed by CHC Chairman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), H.R.6 lead author Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40), H.R.6 co-author Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (NY-12), H.R. 6 co-author Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-9), Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler (NY-10), First Vice Chair Ruben Gallego (AZ-07), Second Vice Chair Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44), Whip Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Freshman Representative Veronica Escobar (TX-16),Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (CA-13), Congressman A. Donald McEachin (VA-04), Congressman Albio Sires (NJ-8), ), Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. (NC-12), Congressman Jesús "Chuy" García (IL-04), Congressman Adam Schiff (CA-28), Congressman Al Green (TX-9), Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (FL-20), Congressman Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-7), Congressman Adam Smith (WA-9), Congressman Alan Lowenthal (CA-47), Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Congressman André Carson (IN-7), Congresswoman Linda T. Sánchez (CA-38), Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-3), Congressman Antonio Delgado (NY-13), Congressman Ben Ray Luján (NM-3), Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11), Congresswoman Brenda L. Lawrence (MI-14), Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. (NJ-10), Congressman David Price (NC-4), Congresswoman Deb Haaland (NM-01), Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-3), Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At Large), Congressman Filemon Vela (TX-34), Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01), Congresswoman Grace F. Napolitano (CA-32), Congressman Gregory W. Meeks (NY-5), Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (GA-4), Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-5), Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-8), Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-2), Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-7), Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (MS-2), Congressman Bobby L. Rush (IL-1), Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12), Congressman Danny K. Davis (IL-7), Congressman David N. Cicilline (RI-1), Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12), Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-7), Congressman Eliot L. Engel (NY-16), Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Congressman Gerald E. “Gerry” Connolly (VA-11), Congresswoman Grace Meng (NY-6), Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-4), Congressman James P. McGovern (MA-2),Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (FL-9), Congressman J. Luis Correa (CA-46), Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo (CA-18), Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13), Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-4), Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Congressman Cedric Richmond (LA-2), Congressman Darren Soto (FL-09), Congressman David Scott (GA-13), Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (FL-26), Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-3), Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO-5), Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24), Congressman Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr. (CA-39), Congressman Greg Stanton (AZ-9), Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (NY-8), Congresswoman Jackie Speier (NY-14), Congressman Jim Langevin (RI-2), Congressman Jared Huffman (CA-2), Congressman Jason Crow (CA-6), Congressman Jim Costa (CA-16), Congressman John Garamendi (CA-3), Congressman Juan Vargas (CA-51), Congresswoman Karen Bass (CA-33), Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE-At-large), Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (PA-4), Congressman Mark Pocan (WI-2), Congresswoman Norma Torres (CA-35), Congressman Pete Aguilar (CA-31), Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-8), Congressman Ro Khanna (CA-17), Congressman Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-04), Congresswoman Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29), Congressman Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15), Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-3), Congressman Jimmy Panetta (CA-20), Congressman José Serrano (NY-15), Congressman Jesús "Chuy" García (IL-04), Congresswoman Katherine Clark (MA-5), Congressman Lloyd Doggett (TX-35), Congressman Marc Veasey (TX-33), Congressman Mark Takano (CA-41), Congressman Peter DeFazio (OR-04), Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-13), Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Congressman Sanford Bishop (GA-2), Congresswoman Susan Davis (CA-53), Congressman Ted Lieu (CA-33), Congresswoman Val Demings (FL-10), Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36), Congressman Joe Neguse (CO-2), Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy III (MA-3), Congresswoman Julia Brownley (CA-26), Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-3), Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-9), Congressman Paul D. Tonko (NY-20), Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-7), Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-3), Congressman Scott H. Peters (CA-54), Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-1), Congressman TJ Cox (CA-21), and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18).

Full text of the letter follows and can be found here.

Dear President Trump:

Following the Supreme Court’s landmark decision rejecting your repeal of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), we strongly urge you to change course and use your executive authority to protect, not deport, the young immigrants who are eligible for DACA.

Eight years ago, following bipartisan requests from Congress, President Obama used his legal authority to establish DACA.  DACA provides temporary protection from deportation on an individualized basis to immigrants who arrived in the United States as children if they register with the government, pay a fee, and pass criminal and national security background checks.  The young people who are eligible for DACA, known as Dreamers, are American in every way except for their immigration status.  More than 800,000 Dreamers have come forward and received DACA.  DACA has unleashed the full potential of Dreamers, who are contributing to our country as soldiers, nurses, teachers, and small business owners, and in many other ways.  

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 200,000 DACA recipients are working in occupational areas that your Administration’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) identifies as part of the “essential critical infrastructure workforce.”  This includes an estimated 41,700 DACA recipients working in the health care industry, including physicians and physicians in training, intensive care nurses, paramedics, respiratory therapists, nursing assistants, and health technicians.  It makes no sense to continue your efforts to deport these essential workers to countries they barely remember even as our nation grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic.

When you announced your repeal of DACA, you called on Congress to “legalize DACA,” but since then, you have rejected numerous bipartisan deals to protect Dreamers. For example, on January 11, 2018, in a meeting in the Oval Office, you profanely rejected a bipartisan immigration agreement that included protection for Dreamers and a large down payment on your beloved border wall.  On February 15, 2018, the Senate considered a bipartisan amendment offered by Senators Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Angus King (I-ME) which included a path to citizenship for Dreamers.  A bipartisan majority supported the amendment, but it failed to reach the 60 votes needed to pass because your Administration issued a strident statement of opposition.  On the same day, the Senate rejected your hardline immigration proposal by a bipartisan supermajority of 39-60.

On June 4, 2019, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act, legislation that would give Dreamers a path to citizenship, on a strong bipartisan vote of 237-187.  The American Dream and Promise Act has now been pending in the Senate for more than a year.  Without your support, it is unlikely that Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell will schedule it for a vote.  

Mr. President, it is not too late for you to do the right thing.  Specifically, we call on you to immediately:

1. Publicly announce that you will not make another attempt to repeal DACA;
2. Comply with the Supreme Court’s decision by directing DHS to follow the June 15, 2012, memo issued by then-Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano called, Exercising Prosecutorial Discretion with Respect to Individuals Who Came to the United States as Children; and
3. Endorse the American Dream and Promise Act, which would pass the Senate on a strong bipartisan vote if you simply called on Leader McConnell to bring it to a vote.  

As the Supreme Court has recognized, our nation can continue to protect Dreamers.  By contrast, your Administration’s efforts to deport DACA recipients are needlessly cruel and would weaken our nation’s essential workforce.  While only Congress can provide a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, it is up to you whether that process is done as smoothly and as harmlessly as possible so that these young immigrants who have benefitted from America in countless ways can also continue contributing to our nation.

It would be an American tragedy to deport DACA recipients who are saving lives in the midst of this pandemic.   We must ensure these talented young immigrants are not forced to stop working when the need for their public service has never been greater.  And we must give them the chance they deserve to become American citizens.

We, and hundreds of thousands of Dreamers, await your response.