More than 600 college and university presidents have signed their institutions on to a letter urging Congress to act now to pass long overdue bipartisan legislation providing permanent protection for Dreamers.
More than 600 college and university presidents have signed their institutions on to a letter, urging Congress to act now to pass long overdue bipartisan legislation providing permanent protection for Dreamers. The presidents state that Congress should not wait for the upcoming Supreme Court hearing and decision on DACA to take action to protect Dreamers.
“We believe it is long overdue for Congress to pass bipartisan legislation, in both the House and Senate, to provide permanent protection for Dreamers—young, undocumented, high-achieving individuals brought to our country as children," the letter states. “We understand the Supreme Court will soon be considering DACA. But regardless of the Court's decision, legislative action will remain necessary."
The House earlier this year approved legislation to protect Dreamers. However, the Senate so far has failed to follow suit, leaving Dreamers in an unacceptable political and legal limbo and living in fear and uncertainty.
As the college presidents' letter notes, polls show Americans overwhelmingly support legislation that would provide relief to Dreamers with a path forward in the only country they have ever really known. For instance, a February 2018 CNN poll found that over 80 percent of Americans, across all partisan affiliations, overwhelmingly support Congress protecting Dreamers.
The letter, which was organized by ACE with assistance from a number of other higher education associations, urges lawmakers to “come together on a bipartisan basis to address this challenge by doing the right thing for these outstanding young people and for our country."