Roybal-Allard reintroduces legislation to give ‘Dreamers’ citizenship

Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard at a 2014 rally for immigration reform. (Photo courtesy Fast Families)

DOWNEY — Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40) announced the reintroduction of H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act, a bill that would enable U.S.-raised immigrant youth known as “Dreamers” to earn lawful permanent residence and American citizenship.

In addition to Dreamers, the Dream and Promise Act also includes protections and a path to citizenship for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) beneficiaries.

The reintroduction of H.R. 6 comes as momentum continues to build for immigration reform, Roybal-Allard said. Earlier this year, Rep. Linda Sanchez introduced President Joe Biden’s U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021. Roybal-Allard, along with six of her colleagues known as the “Closers,” are guiding the president’s bill through the House.

Among its many provisions, the legislation would allow qualified immigrants who “contribute to our country and enrich their communities” with a pathway to citizenship. The reintroduction of H.R. 6 is part of the strategy to further prioritize efforts to secure permanent citizenship for Dreamers, TPS recipients, and DED beneficiaries alongside the larger immigration bill.

After the reintroduction of H.R. 6, Rep. Roybal-Allard issued the following statement:

“As an original co-author of the 2001 Dream Act, and as the Member of Congress representing the district with the highest percentage of Dreamers, I am thrilled to announce the reintroduction of the American Dream and Promise Act of 2021 as we continue our work to pass long-overdue legislation to reform our nation’s immigration system.

“I thank my co-authors, Representatives Nydia Velázquez and Yvette Clarke, for their tireless efforts to protect the rights of our immigrant communities and for their work on provisions of the bill assisting Temporary Protected Status recipients and Deferred Enforced Departure beneficiaries. I also thank Speaker Nancy Pelosi for once again designating the bill as H.R. 6, making it one of the top ten priorities for our Democratic Caucus in the 117th Congress.

“During the years of the Trump Administration, the vicious targeting of our most vulnerable immigrant communities cultivated a climate of apprehension, uncertainty, and fear. For far too long, Dreamers and others have waited in limbo and lived with the fear of being deported from the only country they know as home. Dreamers were brought to this country as children. Many are unaware that they are undocumented until they apply for college, and many more have felt the need to keep their status a secret out of fear of deportation. That’s why I am grateful that President Biden has made immigration reform a priority and has preserved and fortified the DACA program in the U.S. Citizenship Act.

“I am also grateful that the president’s bill would provide a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants who currently live in the U.S., work hard, and contribute to our communities and nation. As we work to pass the president’s bold reform legislation, the reintroduction of H.R. 6 will help ensure Dreamers, TPS recipients, and DED beneficiaries are protected once and for all.

“I have seen firsthand the love and devotion that our Dreamers have for our country. They are our neighbors, friends, and colleagues. They are students, scientists, researchers, and small business owners. As the coronavirus pandemic has raged across the nation, claiming the lives of over 500,000 Americans, Dreamers and immigrants have risked their lives as part of the essential and emergency workforce on the front lines of our response to the pandemic. By allowing Dreamers, TPS recipients, and DED beneficiaries to permanently stay in America without fear of deportation and pursue a path to citizenship, we will help them continue to enhance and strengthen our nation.”

"The last four years were a dark, uncertain period for the millions of immigrants living in the United States, but the opportunity to begin a new chapter for our nation's immigration policy under the Biden Administration is underway," said Rep. Velázquez. "I am proud to join my colleagues in reintroducing the American Dream and Promise Act, which provides critical protections to recipients of TPS and DACA, including a pathway towards Legal Permanent Residence and citizenship. The United States has always been, and will continue to be, a nation of immigrants. They are our neighbors, our family, and our coworkers, and they deserve to not continue to be forced into the shadows.”