The House passed the “Dream and Promise Act,” which provides a pathway to citizenship for 2.5 million people who came to the United States illegally as children as well as foreigners living here under temporary protected status.
The measure passed easily Tuesday in the Democratic-led chamber, winning huge applause in the viewing gallery filled with advocates for the so-called “Dreamers.” But the measure faces certain opposition in the Republican-led Senate.
While the likely measure won’t become law in this Congress, Democrats celebrated the passage of the bill as a fulfillment of a promise they have made for years to “Dreamers” seeking a way to escape deportation.
About 700,000 of those included in the legislation are part of an Obama-era program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, which is tied up in court and has left those enrolled in the program in legal limbo.
“They are American in every way except on paper,” Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif. “And it is beyond cruel to deport them to nations they barely know. It’s time to recognize their love for America and finally help their dreams come true.”
The measure is a version of similar legislation Democrats have introduced but failed to pass in each Congress since 2001.
“This is a historic day, “ said Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif.
Most Republicans opposed the bill. Only seven voted in favor of the measure.
While many GOP lawmakers in both chambers support giving “Dreamers” legal status, they want the measure to be coupled with border security improvements and changes to immigration laws that Democrats oppose. The Dream and Promise Act is “a political bill,” that won’t become law, said Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee.
Democrats defeated a GOP amendment aimed at making it easier to deport gang members. Republicans argued a loophole in the bill would enable gang members to remain in the United States. But Democrats argued the bill language already allows the government to reject those involved in gang activity.
House lawmakers approved the bill as a humanitarian crisis continues unabated at the southern border, where 100,000 illegal immigrants have crossed into the United States each of the past three months.
Republicans want changes to asylum laws and other immigration laws that would deter Central American migrants from heading to the U.S. southern border, but Democrats won’t agree to a bill providing $4.4 billion to U.S. officials to deal with the massive surge of migrants.
“This bill we are debating today is fatally flawed,” said Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo. “Republicans are for a compassionate solution to help DACA recipients, but that solution must be paired with commonsense border security, interior enforcement and changes in policy to stem the tide of illegal border crossings, human smuggling and frivolous claims of asylum. Tragically, this bill does noting to address the crisis at our southern border.”
But Democrats celebrated passage as a major victory, for their own party at least, which has been pushing for a “Dreamers” bill for many years without success.
In February 2018, Speaker Nancy Pelosi held the House floor for more than eight hours in a bid to draw attention to the plight of “Dreamers” and the important roles they play in U.S. communities.
The Dreamers include 5,000 teachers, Pelosi said on the House floor Tuesday.
Pelosi said Democrats intend the bill to be an opening bid to broader immigration reform, which Democrats want to include a pathway to citizenship for all illegal immigrants.
“We want it to be a bridge to understanding and why we need comprehension immigration reform for an immigration system that embraces the contributions of our newcomers,” Pelosi said.
