Urges Congress to Immediately Pass the Dream Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) is appalled at the Trump administration's decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in six months. With this action, the administration manufactures an unnecessary humanitarian and economic crisis for immigrant youth, their families, and the communities where they live. CRL joined 185 civil and human rights groups in sending a letter to Congress to urge lawmakers "to immediately pass the Dream Act without amendment so that young people who were brought to this country when they were children are protected."
Created in 2012 by executive order under the Obama administration, the DACA program provides temporary relief from deportation to immigrants brought to the United States as minors. DACA grantees voluntarily apply under the renewable program, are vetted for national security purposes, and only after clearance receive work authorization for two years. Upon its creation, the federal government promised not to divulge the personal information of DACA recipients to immigration and customs enforcement for the purposes of deportations. For the next six months, DACA recipients are forced to live with uncertainty as Congress is left to decide on a legislative solution.
CRL President Mike Calhoun released the following statement:
Ending DACA creates a humanitarian and economic crisis for hundreds of thousands of families. DACA youth and their families have become integral to the fabric of American society. They participate in every aspect of American life -- in schools, houses of worship, work, and defending our nation through military service. Furthermore, as these young people entered adulthood, they have formed households, obtained jobs, purchased homes, created small businesses, paid taxes, and become full participants in local, state, and our national economy. Ending the program not only creates family hardships, but also disruption for their employers, schools, universities, and communities. These families have proven to be dependable homeowners and economic contributors to our country. Ending this important program would cost the American economy hundreds of thousands of trained workers and pull billions of dollars out of the economy every year.
This action is counter to the aspirational ideals of our nation and it will tarnish our reputation around the world. From an economic point of view, our nation cannot afford a decline in our productive workforce. CRL is committed to working with Congress to find a legislative solution and give certainty to these members of our American family. We will advocate for a timely passage of the DREAM Act and provide information to all consumers on the management of their financial assets and obligations to make sure their interests are protected.
For more information or to arrange an interview with a CRL spokesperson on this issue, please contact Ricardo Quinto at Ricardo.Quinto@ResponsibleLending.org or 202-349-1866.