Proposal seeks to grant permanent residency to dreamers
by efe news
It is the third time that Democratic Senator Dick Durbin and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham have introduced this legislative proposal.
Washington, (EFE) - Two senators presented on Friday a bill in the United States Congress that seeks to grant permanent residence to some of the migrants who were brought by their families into the US when they were minors, known as “dreamers.”
It is the third time that Democratic Senator Dick Durbin and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham have introduced this legislative proposal. The bill seeks to allow recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program who are in or have completed high school, have worked, or served in the military for at least three years to apply for permanent residency. “It is clear that only Congress can give them the stability they deserve,” Senator Durbin, who has been trying to pass legislation for more than 15 years to give them legal status, wrote in a statement. Restricting the flow of migrants at the southern border For his part, Senator Graham pointed out that before thinking about giving the green light to this bill it is necessary, from his perspective, to restrict the current migratory flow to the US at the southern border. “I hope my Democrat colleagues understand that we must repair the border and deal with the tsunami of illegal migration before” giving immigration relief to DACA recipients, Graham said.
Requirements of the proposed law In addition to educational requirements, the bill also requires “dreamers” who wish to apply for residency to prove proficiency in English, no criminal record, or “pose a threat” to the U.S. The “dreamers” are in a legal limbo by a lawsuit from nine states with Republican governors that have called for the end of DACA, the program that grants work permits to “dreamers.” Current President Joe Biden promised during his presidential campaign that he would protect DACA recipients and give them a path to citizenship. However, the lack of consensus and political will in Congress along with lawsuits in the courts have prevented this goal. The original program was launched in August 2012 during Barack Obama’s term (2009-2017), but in 2017, then-President Donald Trump ordered its cancellation and subsequently numerous disagreements have led to the current situation.
