Today, Representatives Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40), Nydia Velazquez (NY-7), and Yvette Clarke (NY-9), along with more than 80 original cosponsors including House Democratic leadership and TriCaucus representatives, introduced the Dream and Promise Act of 2019. This bill would provide a path to citizenship for the nation’s more than 3 million undocumented young people, including hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients.
The Dream and Promise Act expands on previous versions of the popular and bipartisan DREAM Act by including protections for immigrants with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) legal permanent residence status. The bill also includes provisions to make in-state tuition available to undocumented students and to allow DREAMers access federal financial aid.
Following the bill’s introduction, Allie Aguilera, Policy and Government Affairs Manager at Young Invincibles, released the following statement.
“It has been a long 18 months since President Trump first attempted to end the DACA program. The ensuing court battles and legislative debates have caused an outpouring of stories of fear, persistence, and hope from thousands of young people fighting to stay in the only home they’ve ever known. The nation’s DREAMers have come out of this struggle stronger than ever — and the Dream and Promise Act is a testament to their never-ending call for justice.
This new version of the DREAM Act, provides not only a path to citizenship for America’s more than three million DREAMers, but also a path to financial security by making college – a cornerstone of the American dream – more affordable. By making it possible for DREAMers to qualify for in-state tuition rates and federal student financial aid, the Dream and Promise Act invests in the unlimited potential of immigrants to better our schools, communities, and economy. We commend the original cosponsors of this bill for their leadership and urge the House to pass the Dream and Promise Act immediately.”