Target: Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Goal: Allow undocumented youth to work and study in the U.S.
The majority of Dreamers graduating high school in 2022 won’t be allowed to work in the United States. These young folks are being denied access to opportunity and success in the country they grew up in. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi must introduce and pass comprehensive immigration legislation to protect Dreamers.
According to The Hill, 75% of the class of 2022’s undocumented graduates are not eligible for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA,) which provides authorization to work and study for Dreamers brought to the U.S. before 2007. This is the first class since DACA’s introduction to see the majority of its Dreamers ineligible for the program. However, even if these young folks were eligible for DACA, a 2021 court ruling from Texas found DACA unlawful – this has blocked any new applicants to the program, even if they were brought to the U.S. before 2007. Since the court order, only DACA renewals have been accepted.
DACA was a stop gap measure implemented because of Congressional inaction. The program has provided invaluable relief and access to opportunity for eligible Dreamers, but it has failed to protect the entirety of our undocumented community members – including large numbers of Dreamers. Also, the program has left even those eligible in a constant state of limbo as DACA has continued to face legal challenges since its inception. The class of 2022 may be the first to see the majority of its undocumented graduates ineligible for DACA, but it won’t be the last. According to The Hill, there are currently 600,000 Dreamers enrolled in our K-12 schools and only 21,000 are currently enrolled and eligible to apply for their DACA renewals. Sign this petition to tell our House Speaker the American people want Congress to act now to protect undocumented immigrants, especially Dreamers.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Speaker Pelosi,
Graduating Dreamers are facing a new threat. The majority of Dreamers graduating high school this year won’t be eligible to apply for DACA and are thus being denied access to the authorization to work and study in the United States. These young folks need these authorizations to access opportunity and success in the country they grew up in.
DACA, while valuable, has always been a stop gap measure implemented because of Congressional inaction on immigration reform. DACA fails to protect the entirety of our undocumented community members, including large numbers of Dreamers – and even those eligible for DACA continue to live in a state of uncertainty as the program has faced many legal challenges. I am urging you to introduce comprehensive legislation enabling much needed immigration reform here in the United States, as well as urging you to do everything in your power to ensure this legislation passes. Please take urgent action to protect these members of our communities.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Victoria Pickering
721 Signatures