DACA Anniversary Heightens Debate Around Dreamers

On June 15, 2012, then-President Barack Obama implemented a program called DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), which offers relief from deportation to certain young undocumented immigrants who came to the US as minors or, rather, who were brought into the country without prior authorization.

This immigrant community is commonly known as Dreamers. Through history, especially during the last decades, Dreamers have become essential workers in all kinds of sectors and are clearly a key piece of the American social fabric, mainly because many of them came to the country as children, do not remember almost anything about their countries of origin and grew up being part of the local culture.

Currently, DACA is the only immigration benefit that directly protects Dreamers. However, this is a temporary program and it was in jeopardy under the Trump administration, which tried to remove it by all possible means.

Because it was recently the 9th anniversary of DACA and considering that the Biden administration supports legalization for Dreamers, so long as they meet the US’ admissibility requirements, the debate around this immigrant community is growing, mainly within Congress.

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Immigration bill to protect Dreamers

Since President Biden took office in early 2021, several members of Congress, from both the US House of Representatives and the Senate, have introduced or reintroduced several immigration bills, including the Biden administration’s ambitious immigration bill.

Regarding Dreamers specifically, three Democratic members of the House of Representatives reintroduced the “American Dream and Promise Act”, an immigration bill initially introduced in 2019.

This bill would offer a path to conditional permanent residence to thousands of Dreamers, so long as they meet certain eligibility requirements, and would simplify the process for DACA recipients.

Adding to that, this bill also proposes to offer a path to legal permanent residence to certain beneficiaries of TPS (Temporary Protected Status) or DED (Deferred Enforced Departure).

To learn more about this immigration bill: Democrats Reintroduce Act that Would Benefit Young Immigrants

House of Representatives approves the “American Dream and Promise Act”

In mid-March, the House of Representatives passed the “American Dream and Promise Act”, along with another immigration bill that would benefit undocumented farmworkers.

However, to officially become law, this bill must also be approved by the Senate, which is one of the branches of Congress.

The “American Dream and Promise Act” enters the Senate

On March 22, the Senate received for the first time, after the approval of the House of Representatives, the “Promise and American Dream Act of 2021” and, after reading it twice, referred it to the Committee on the Judiciary.

On June 15, during the anniversary of DACA, the Committee on the Judiciary held a hearing for more than 3 hours, in which it heard comments about this immigration bill that would offer a permanent solution to young immigrants who are a pillar of the local economy. Now, it is only a matter of time until the Judiciary Committee publishes its conclusions on the latest version of the “American Dream and Promise Act”.

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