Dreamers face uncertainty in the next six months following President Trump’s announcement of ending Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program by March of 2018. The allotted time is to figure out what to do with the 780,000 DACA recipients.
Senators Graham (R-S.C.) and Durbin (D-III.) are hoping to convince Congress to create new legislation by the end of September that would protect young undocumented immigrants from deportation. Durbin and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) first proposed the DREAM Act in 2001. To this day, it has passed in the Senate and the House, but never in both at the same time. Lawmakers must act soon to save thousands from deportation.
”We are now in a countdown toward deportation for 780,000 protected by DACA today,” Durbin said in a press conference. ”We need to pass in this month of September a DREAM Act – a permanent law in this country that says these young people will have their chance to become part of America’s future.”
Durbin’s call to action, unfortunately, comes at a time when lawmakers are working on funding for the Hurricane Harvey victims. They also need to approve a stopgap spending measure in upcoming weeks to keep the government operating. Graham believes if this controversial issue doesn’t find a fix now, it won’t stand a chance in the coming months.
”The reason I think it will get done now is that the leadership of the Republican Party, including the president, realizes it’s good for the country economically and otherwise to give these kids the certainty they need in their lives,” said Graham. ”We’re going to do two things: We’re going to take care of the hurricane victims in Texas, and we’re going to take care of those kids.”
Durbin and Graham have been working together on bipartisan projects but disagree on DACA. While Durbin believes it’s a great program, Graham thinks it’s unconstitutional. However, he still wants to find a solution to the lives of the bright minds that DACA hosts. The DREAM Act is the permanent solution, and it’s not a new idea.
As Durbin puts it, ”We’ve stood together through thick and thin for almost 16 years now. We’ve had moments when we passed this measure in the Senate, moments when we passed it in the House, but never both chambers at the same time. This is our chance to do it. Do not give up hope.”
Durbin’s final message to those young undocumented immigrants affected by this situation was, ”If you are one of those Dreamers, one of those protected by DACA, you need to be part of America and its future.
”We made a promise to you that if you gave us information to our government about you and your family, it wouldn’t be used against you. I don’t want that to ever happen. So let’s stand together.”