Reps. Roybal-Allard, Velázquez, Clarke Urge Senate to Pass H.R. 6 to Protect Dreamers, TPS/DED Beneficiaries

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, in advance of a United States Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act, U.S. Representatives Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40), Nydia Velázquez (NY-7), and Yvette Clarke (NY-9), co-authors of the legislation, issued a joint statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee thanking the Committee for taking this step to move the legislation forward and urging a vote on the bill by the full Senate.

If passed, the American Dream and Promise Act would provide a pathway to citizenship for U.S.-raised immigrant youth known as 'Dreamers,' as well as Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) beneficiaries.

The full joint statement sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee is below:

'Chairman Durbin, Subcommittee Chair Padilla, Members of the Committee, thank you for holding this hearing and thank you for allowing us to submit this testimony.

'We applaud Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Immigration Subcommittee Chairman Alex Padilla (D-CA) for taking the first step toward passing H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act out of the Senate and onto President Biden's desk. Earlier this year, U.S. Representatives Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), and Yvette Clarke (NY-09) introduced H.R. 6 for the second consecutive Congress. With the assistance of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, on March 18, 2021, the bill was passed out of the House on a bipartisan vote.

'The Senate Judiciary Committee's hearing presents an opportunity to make H.R. 6 law and end once and for all the fear and uncertainty that has plagued the lives of our nation's Dreamers and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) beneficiaries, who are an integral part of the fabric of our American society.

'Over the course of the deadly coronavirus pandemic, Dreamers and TPS beneficiaries have played a vital role. During the health emergency, an estimated 202,500 DACA recipients and more than 131,000 TPS holders risked their lives to protect the health and safety of their fellow Americans. Dreamers and TPS holders are among the essential workers helping to package and stock our food, the teachers of our children, and the doctors, nurses, and caregivers who daily have sacrificed their lives to save the lives of others.

'Yet, in spite of the critical role they play in our society, over 2.1 million Dreamers and hundreds of thousands of TPS holders live in a state of limbo, doubt, and anxiety about being deported to a country most do not know. H.R. 6 eliminates the legal status ambiguity in Dreamers', TPS and DED holders' lives and recognizes the talents and indispensable contributions they make to our country.

'The American Dream and Promise Act is supported by Democrats, Republicans, and Independents, as well as businesses, organized labor, faith groups, educators, health professionals, former Cabinet officials, and the majority of the American public. In fact, in this Congress, Republican support of H.R. 6 in the House increased. This unprecedented coalition of support highlights that this legislation is not a partisan issue. It is an issue about who we are as Americans and what is in the best interest of our country.

'By passing the American Dream and Promise Act, we will live up to our American values of fairness, justice, and compassion. We urge the full Senate to take up and pass the American Dream and Promise Act, preferably with bipartisan support or, if necessary, through the budget reconciliation, and send it to the President's desk for his signature.'

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