As reported by ThinkProgress, House Democrats have formally introduced HR 6 — also known as the ‘Dream and Promise Act’ — a bill that would potentially provide a realistic path to permanent residency for around 2.5 million immigrants.
At a time when immigrants are under increased pressure from the Trump Administration, the introduction of this bill is an important step in the right direction. In this article, our immigration lawyer highlights some of the key things that you should know about this proposed legislation.
What is the Dream and Promise Act?
In many ways, the Dream and Promise Act is similar to the longstanding DREAM Act — a bill that has been stalled in Congress for nearly two decades. Among other things, the DREAM Act proposes a path to permanent status for undocumented migrants who were brought to the United States as minors.
The DREAM Act was originally introduced all the way back in August of 2001, by its lead Senate co-sponsors Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah). While the DREAM Act initially had considerable bipartisan support, unfortunately, the Republicans in Congress have gradually moved away from supporting immigrant rights.
Beyond providing support to DREAMers, the Dream and Promise Act includes additional provisions. Indeed, it proposes to move immigrant rights forward. Most notably, the legislation expands proposed protections to groups with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and to those with Deferred Enforced Departure (DED).
Could this Bill Become Law?
In the short-term, the Dream and Promise Act is highly unlikely to become law. Put bluntly, there is little indication that Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell would allow the bill to move forward in the Republican-controlled Senate. Of course, beyond that, any bill passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate would need to be signed into law by President Trump. In the unlikely event that the bill passes, it could face a veto.
However, that does not mean that the bill is going nowhere: As we have seen many times before, elections have consequences. The 2020 election cycle will have an enormous impact on the future rights and options for immigrants — especially for DREAMers and for people with TPS. Americans are strongly in favor of increased protections for DACA recipients. In fact, America’s Voice reports that the public supports protections for DREAMers by a margin of 83 to 12. If the Trump Administration and legislators continue to fail to stand up for immigrant rights, voters will have the opportunity to make their voices heard at the polls.
We Fight for Immigrant Rights in Los Angeles, CA
At Goldstein Immigration Lawyers, our practice is dedicated to protecting the rights and interests of immigrants. With more than fifteen years of experience, our immigration attorney handles the full range of immigration law issues. To get an immediate review of your case, please call our Los Angeles law office today. We represent clients throughout Southern California.
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