CHC Recognizes the 10th Anniversary of DACA
For Immediate Release
Wednesday, June 15, 2022
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CHC Recognizes the 10th Anniversary of DACA
Washington, D.C. – Today, June 15th, 2022, marks ten years since President Barack Obama announced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program, offering "Dreamers" an opportunity to seek higher education, work authorization permits, and most importantly, protection from deportation. DACA has been transformative for hundreds of thousands of young people brought to the U.S. at a young age and has resulted in economic gains for cities, states, and our nation as a whole; however, the program falls short of a pathway to citizenship.
Today, we celebrate the victory of undocumented youth who tirelessly organized across the country and bravely shared their stories to shed light on the injustices towards immigrant communities. Their actions demanded a stop to the deportations of families and students that were separating communities. It was due to their advocacy, and our Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Members, that DACA was possible.
While DACA was a significant achievement for many immigrants, it is by no means a substitute for fixing our broken immigration system. The CHC will continue to fight for comprehensive immigration reform and policies that keep families together.
CHC Members released the following statements:
"On the tenth anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, CHC recognizes the invaluable contributions that DACA recipients and their families bring to our country. CHC will continue to work con puño y fuerza in our fight for comprehensive immigration reform. Enough is enough, and now is the time for 10 Senate Republicans to get on board with the bipartisan Dream and Promise Act that we passed out of the House. We must modernize our broken immigration system, keep families together, strengthen our economy, provide pathways to citizenship, and live up to our nation's values of hope, opportunity, and the American dream," said CHC Chair Dr. Raul Ruiz.
"Dreamers are an essential part of our community in Nevada," said U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto. "I'm glad that we have been able to safeguard DACA over the years, but we need to do more to put Dreamers on a path to citizenship while protecting and expanding this essential program. I'll keep working in the Senate to get it done."
"In ten years, DACA recipients have graduated and many work as doctors, nurses, or teachers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, DACA recipients filled more than half a million essential jobs. They have spent the last ten years making meaningful contributions to our country while Congress has failed to act. Last year's decision by a Texas federal judge to stop first-time DACA applications from being processed left tens of thousands of immigrant youth in limbo and facing potential deportation to countries they do not know. Now more than ever, we must act to pass legislation that protects Dreamers and provides legal status and a pathway to citizenship," saidU.S. Senator Alex Padilla.
"The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program has had a major impact on so many individuals in my district. It has allowed people, many of them young people, to step out from the shadows and feel safe at school, work, and in their communities," saidCHC Deputy Chair Rep. Nanette Barragán. "On the tenth anniversary of DACA, we are reminded that this policy is only temporary and does not provide the full-range of protections and sense of permanency and belonging that all of these individuals deserve. It is long past time that Congress makes these protections permanent, creates a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients and all Dreamers. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus will not stop fighting until we get this done. Somos una nación de inmigrantes, aqui es nuestro hogar."
"Since the launch of the DACA policy 10 years ago, Dreamers across Florida and the country have made incredible contributions and deserve to be celebrated. These ambitious and inspiring young people have made our nation more vibrant and prosperous. Today's anniversary is an important reminder of why Congress must act to protect our nation's Dreamers. I am proud to have supported the Dream and Promise Act and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, both of which passed the House of Representatives on a bipartisan basis. It is time that we reform our broken immigration system. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to put partisanship aside and finally ensure that Dreamers receive the protections they deserve," said CHC Vice Chair of Policy Rep. Darren Soto.
"On this 10th anniversary of DACA, we reflect on the resiliency of not just the program but its participants who have been faced with uncertainty since its inception," said CHC Vice Chair of Diversity & Inclusion Rep. Adriano Espaillat. "Last year, the House passed the American Dream and Promise Act, which would protect dreamers from deportation and once and for all provide a pathway to citizenship. We urge the Senate to end the filibuster and pass their version of the Dream Act and vow to continue our collective efforts to ensure dreamers are welcomed and protected – and that we uphold our American values to ensure opportunities for all."
"On the tenth anniversary of DACA, I recognize and celebrate the courageous DACA recipients who continue to lead the fight for permanent protections as they uplift our communities in immeasurable ways. Their stories are an inspiration for all of us," said CHC Vice Chair of Communications Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández. "We must pass legislation to create a permanent pathway to citizenship for all Dreamers and the Biden Administration should use every administrative tool it can to update DACA's important protections. Los Dreamers merecen quedarse en el lugar al cual llaman hogar."
"On the 10th anniversary of the DACA, we recognize the contributions of recipients and their families that have shaped American culture and strengthened our economy. DACA has been transformative to hundreds of thousands of people brought to the U.S. at a young age. I look forward to continuing to fight with my colleagues in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to modernize the American immigration system to support Dreamers and their families," saidCHC Freshman RepresentativeRep. Ritchie Torres.
"Ten years ago, President Obama and Democrats reaffirmed America's tradition as the land of opportunity by establishing the DACA program," said CHC Whip Rep. Sylvia Garcia. "Since that day, brave young immigrants and their families have provided massive contributions on their path to the American dream. It is now our nation's responsibility to protect these dreamers and their legacy by strengthening our broken immigration system."
"The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program has changed the lives of so many and has given DACA recipients the opportunity to contribute to and enrich their country each and every day," saidRep. Nydia Velázquez. "On the tenth anniversary of DACA, I recommit myself to continuing to work with my colleagues to reform and strengthen our immigration system. As one of the authors of the Dream and Promise Act I will always stand with DACA recipients and their families because home is here."
"We have a moral obligation to protect Dreamers in Arizona and across the nation who have known no other home but this one and we continue to see xenophobic attacks and inaction. The Senate must immediately pass the Dream and Promise Act. Anything less would shamefully neglect our values," said Rep. Raul Grijalva. "Young immigrants and their families have endured the threat of deportation and survived because of the strength, power and resilience of immigrant communities. While we have much work to do, DACA remains the floor, not the ceiling, when it comes to protecting immigrant communities."
"Ten years ago today, President Obama announced the DACA program, marking a victory for the thousands of undocumented youth that bravely spoke out and fought for this relief," said Rep. Linda Sánchez. "Since then, DACA has helped thousands of students and young people build a life in the United States—the only country many of them call home. But DACA was always a temporary solution. On this anniversary, we recognize that DACA and similar relief programs work to benefit individuals, families, and our economy as a whole. It is time to build on the success of DACA and create a pathway to citizenship not only for DACA recipients, but for the millions of immigrants who live in and contribute to our communities every single day."
"As we mark the tenth anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, we must recognize the profound economic and cultural contributions that DACA recipients make to our communities," said Rep. Joaquin Castro. "Texas has more than 100,000 DACA recipients who power our state's economy but live in limbo because of threats to weaken or dismantle the program — including last year's federal court order barring new DACA applications. I look forward to continued efforts with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Biden administration to deliver comprehensive immigration reform and provide all Dreamers with a long-overdue path to citizenship."
"For ten years DACA has helped prove Dreamers are an essential part of our communities, contribute to our economy, and make America a stronger, more unified, and more diverse country. As the original co-author of the Dream and Promise Act, I continue to fight for my bill's passage in the Senate so that DACA recipients and all our Dreamers can get onto the path to become citizens and permanent contributing members of our society," said Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard.
"As someone who came to the United States as a child myself, I deeply and personally understand the experience of young migrants. DACA has made our nation stronger by keeping families together, and providing an expanse of possibilities to immigrants, from education to work, and the opportunity to live in America protected from the threat of deportation. Now, we must permanently secure these protections for Dreamers and their families with comprehensive immigration reform, including a pathway to citizenship. The U.S. is our home," said Rep. Norma Torres.
"Ten years ago, President Obama took a bold step forward in the fight for a fairer, more compassionate immigration system. In the decade since, DACA has protected hundreds of thousands of young people. Despite these historic successes, DACA is not and will never be a substitute for true, comprehensive immigration reform. As I have said throughout my time in Congress, we must repair our broken immigration system so DACA recipients can rest easy knowing their protective status will not be rescinded through an executive order. It is what we owe to our nation's Dreamers, and we must get it done," said Rep. Ruben Gallego.
"Today marks 10 years since the DACA program brought over 800,000 immigrant youth out of the shadows so they could work, gain an education, and make a positive impact on our communities," said Rep. Juan Vargas. "However, today serves as a critical reminder that the fight for comprehensive immigration reform is not yet over. Representing the U.S.-Mexico border, I have seen firsthand how outdated and cruel immigration policies have harmed people who live in fear of deportation and being separated from loved ones. As the proud son of Mexican immigrants who came to this country seeking better opportunities, I remain committed to extending a pathway to citizenship to DREAMers, TPS holders, farm workers, and the millions of undocumented immigrants who call this country home. Immigrants are here to stay."
"Over the past ten years, DACA has provided more than 800,000 young immigrants, who know no other home than here, a shot at the American Dream–and as someone who immigrated to this country as a young boy, I know how critical that opportunity has been for them," said Rep. Salud Carbajal. "When my parents brought me to America as a child, the system worked for us. I was given the opportunity to work hard, get a good education, and serve my country in the military, and serve my community through elected offices. DACA has given Dreamers many of these same pathways, and given them the foundation to help make our country stronger and prosper within their communities. While we continue to work on permanent fixes to our immigration system to protect them and others, I'm proud to recognize the decade of contributions that our Dreamers have made to our nation with the help of DACA."
"Let us never forget that we are a nation of immigrants past and present. Now more than ever, we need comprehensive immigration reform," said Rep. Jim Costa. "On the 10th anniversary of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), these children and in some cases infants, came to this country through no choice of their own. America is the only home they have ever known. We reaffirm our commitment to fixing our broken immigration system and ensuring DACA recipients can continue contributing to this great country."
Last year, a federal judge in Texas stopped first-time DACA applications from being processed and left tens of thousands of immigrant young people in limbo. The case is being appealed and will be heard at the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on July 6, 2022. It is imperative that current DACA recipients diligently submit their renewals. CHC continues to call on USCIS to clear its immigration backlog and process DACA renewals in a timely manner.
To request DACA or submit your renewal application, please visit: Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) | USCIS.
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The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), founded in December 1976, is organized as a Congressional Member organization, governed under the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives. The CHC is dedicated to voicing and advancing, through the legislative process, issues affecting Hispanics in the United States, Puerto Rico and U.S. Territories.