Posted on 11/22/2017 2:21:58 PM PST by mdittmar
Over 90 percent of DACA recipients are employed, would benefit from security and peace of mind
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) joined their Democratic women colleagues in sending a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell urging him to pass the Dream Act as soon as possible before the Senate recesses in December.
In the letter, Cantwell, Murray, and nine other female Democratic Senators, including Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Kamala D. Harris (D-CA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), emphasized the impact of President Trump’s decision to rescind the DACA program on women DREAMers, and their families, and underscored the need to pass legislation that would prevent them from being deported from the only home they have ever known.
“Women make up 53 percent of DACA recipients. According to the largest survey of DACA recipients, about one-quarter are parents of American citizen children,” the Senators wrote. “The futures of these mothers and their U.S. citizen children have been thrown into uncertainty. If Congress does not act to protect them, hundreds of thousands of women will lose their status and face deportation.”
The Senators expressed concern that these American citizen children of DACA recipients may end up in foster care if their mothers are deported. The Senators also noted that the fear of deportation leads fewer immigrants to report incidents of sexual abuse or domestic violence.
The full text of the letter is below:
November 21, 2017
The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Senate Majority Leader
317 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Leader McConnell:
We write to urge you to pass the Dream Act as soon as possible and before the Senate recesses for the holidays. There is bipartisan support for Dreamers who have grown up as Americans and know only this country as their home. They are enrolled in our colleges, serving in our military, contributing to our economy and leading lawful, productive lives. It has been over two months since President Trump rescinded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (“DACA”) program and we have yet to see a Republican legislative plan to fix DACA. As mothers, sisters, aunts, and grandmothers, we are particularly concerned about the harm immigrant women and young children face with the rescission of DACA.
Women make up 53 percent of DACA recipients. According to the largest survey of DACA recipients, about one-quarter are parents of American citizen children. The futures of these mothers and their U.S. citizen children have been thrown into uncertainty. If Congress does not act to protect them, hundreds of thousands of women will lose their status and face deportation.
The effects of deportation have a lasting impact on immigrant families. When a parent is deported, it leaves the other with the responsibility of raising a family as a single parent—likely on a single income. If both parents are deported, their children may end up in foster care. Dreamer parents deserve to raise their children with dignity and without the threat of deportation.
Through the DACA program, immigrant women have been able to secure jobs and educational opportunities that allow them to provide for themselves and their families. In fact, over 90 percent of DACA recipients are currently employed and approximately 70 percent were able to get better paying jobs through their DACA status. Without the Dream Act, women will face extreme difficulty making ends meet for their families.
Women deserve to feel safe and be protected, regardless of immigration status. Taking away DACA protections places survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault at risk of further exploitation. There is already increasing fear among immigrant survivors to report these crimes. In fact, nearly 43 percent of legal advocates said they had personally worked with a domestic violence or sexual assault survivor who dropped a civil or criminal case because they were too scared of potential immigration enforcement actions to continue.
If we do not act now to pass the Dream Act, thousands of Dreamer mothers and their families will face separation. The experience of Riccy Enriquez Perdomo, a DACA recipient and mother of two small children, who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) this summer despite having DACA protection, is just one example of what could happen across the country if Congress fails to pass the Dream Act. Riccy was detained for seven days and shuffled to five different detention facilities during that time. Her family was unable to see her or even get accurate information on where she was being held. ICE had already prepared travel documents for her to be sent to Honduras before acknowledging their mistake. Riccy’s experience and the painful uncertainty her family faced will be repeated thousands of times across the country if we do not take action.
Dreamers should not be threatened with detention and deportation. Immigrant women contribute so much to our society and we cannot let them down. Congress should immediately consider legislation that would provide a path to citizenship for Dreamers.
There is absolutely no doubt that America will benefit from passage of the Dream Act, and too much is at stake not to act. We urge you to bring this legislation to the Senate floor for consideration as soon as possible.
Well,here's an old song I like;)
DREAM on.
Over 90% are employed? Where did that BS stat come from?
It's true that everything, including getting on welfare, requires some effort.
It’s hard work picking up the benefit checks and food stamps. For someone in the family, it’s probably a full-time job.
No, DON’T pass the “Dream” act. American youth have dreams also instead of the early death due to drugs and despair to which these pathetic Senators (and their Mexican/Chinese buddies) would throw them.
Washington is represented by two senators dumber than a sack of potatoes.
Her behind is my guess, or it’s that funny magic math aka common core.
Screw these lame brained women who are dumber than dirt.
90% of the MS-13 types my local law enforcement deals with are DACA. Does that count as employed?
Kick these bums out. They are stealing jobs from Citizens of this country. While you are at it, kick out the senators and others who support this insanity.
No amnesty of any kind.
How long you have been breaking the law should not prevent enforcement.
Remove ALL illegal aliens.
There are NO law abiding illegal aliens.
They must commit other crimes to stay here.
How about piece of mind and employment for 100% of American citizens ???
American dreams are only for Americans...
and these senators are in DC to work for them not for illegal aliens...
Mitch is up to his eyeballs in it right ,LOL,you want him to go under ,ROFL
1) Will not get government money,local...state...or Federal.Ever!
2) Will not get citizenship...or the right to vote.Ever!
4) Are required to live within a 2 mile radius of *your* personal,home district,residence.
I just might support the bill.
But very probably won't.
What percentage are on government assistance?
All of them working, and all of them collecting benefits. It's nice to get paid under the table, because on paper one looks poor.
One could make the argument that if you make them “legal” then they would get paid above the table and pay taxes, not be able to collect benefits, etc. I'm not buying it - their scam mentality goes to the bone. They would still get paid under the table and collect benefits, plus they would get to vote!
At every turn, demonrats can’t grasp the meaning of illegal.
They vote anyway. When you apply for SNAP benefits in ny
Theres a voter registration form attached - how convenient
Forget the half a million dreamers affected by the act, and worry much more about the 30 million low-skilled, low wealth LEGAL immigrants imported during last 25 years. That is the real cheap labor express, and welfare consumption machine.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.