Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Statement on 6 Year Anniversary of DACA Program Implementation

WASHINGTON—Today, Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chair Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01) released the following statement on the 6 year anniversary of the implementation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program by the Obama administration.

"On the sixth anniversary of DACA, we celebrate the Dreamers who serve in our military, educate our children, work as doctors and nurses to keep us healthy, and help our economy innovate and thrive as business owners and entrepreneurs. Their commitment to the prosperity of our nation is why a majority of Americans support protecting DACA recipients and providing them with a permanent legislative path to citizenship.

"Yet, every time a bipartisan solution to the crisis that President Trump created is within reach, the administration and Republican conference use Dreamers as political pawns to extract hyper-partisan and radical immigration policy changes that would hurt the economy, rip apart families, and betray our values.

Frankly, it is indefensible and immoral that in the 344 days since President Trump ended DACA, Congress has still not passed a bipartisan solution for Dreamers. I urge the President and Republican Leaders to put moral decency, families, Dreamers, and the will of the American people above the anti-immigrant demands of a few. Congress still has an opportunity to show the nation that it can work together to address this Trump-created crisis in a bipartisan, rapid, targeted, and meaningful way. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus and I will continue fighting for Dreamers, an open and public debate, and a vote on bipartisan legislation that permanently protects Dreamers.

To Dreamers, you make our communities and country stronger and more vibrant - we will never stop fighting for you.

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.