Arizona DACA Beneficiaries React to the Introduction of the 2017 DREAM Act
Aliento Leaders / Arizona DACA Beneficiaries React to the Introduction of the 2017 DREAM Act by Sen. Durbin (D-IL) & Sen. Graham (R-SC)
Phoenix, AZ— Today, democratic Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and republican Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) introduced the DREAM Act. On June 30th, ten attorney generals demanded the White House to terminate the DACA program. Since then, close to 800,000 DACA beneficiaries across the nation are under threat and fear getting deported. In this time of uncertainty, we are encouraged by Senator Durbin and Senator Graham legislative introduction to find a permanent solution for immigrant youth.
The DREAM Act of 2017 will allow immigrant youth to obtain lawful permanent residence and eventually provide a pathway to citizenship if they fulfill certain requirements.
If Republicans and Democrats are serious about protecting immigrant youth; then, the DREAM Act must be introduced as a stand alone legislation. We are denounced the concept of attaching border and interior enforcement amendments such as the Republican Senator John Hoeven of North Dakota and Bob Corker ‘Border Surge Amendment’ of 2013 or the RAISE Act by Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) & David Perdue (R-GA). For us, this is about real people, not politics. We cannot allow politicians to use us as bargaining chip to further their own personal agendas. If they care about our nation, then they will provide a permanent solution for immigrant youth.
Yadira Garcia, a DACA recipient and high school math teacher, “I hope that the introduction of the DREAM Act of 2017 is a genuine effort to protect people like me without jeopardizing my parents who raised me to be who I am today. This will not only bring relief to myself, but to many of the students who I interact with on a daily basis.. “
Reyna Montoya, founder and executive director of Aliento says, “we have seen how in the past both political parties have played with our lives. If Democrats and Republicans really care about young people, like me, who came to the U.S. as children they will act before ICE comes and knocks at our doors in the middle of the night and put us in detention camps.”