Washington, D.C. – Today, the House of Representatives voted 228-197 to pass the Dream & Promise Act and 247-174 to pass the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, two milestone immigration bills that would collectively provide a pathway to citizenship for over 5 million immigrant young people, TPS holders, and farm workers. The Dream & Promise Act and Farm Workforce Modernization Act are the first bills featuring a pathway to citizenship to pass a chamber of Congress within the first 100 days of a presidency.
Greisa Martinez Rosas, Executive Director of United We Dream, said:
“Today’s passage of the Dream & Promise Act and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act in the House are victories made possible by our undocumented, youth-led movement and a Black-led, multi-racial political coalition that delivered victories in the House, Senate, and White House in November. This moment brings us closer to winning permanent protections for all 11 million undocumented people living in the U.S. and is just the beginning of what our movement will accomplish.
Our movement and this victory set the stage for the Senate to act on these bills now! The Senate has absolutely no excuses to delay the counterparts of these bills from making it to President Biden’s desk. Right now, nearly 650,000 DACA recipients face a looming ruling in Texas that could put them at risk of deportation. Despite working on the frontlines to keep our communities fed, safe and healthy during this health crisis, over 9 million undocumented people nationwide remain excluded from COVID-19 relief simply because of their immigration status. Passing citizenship is COVID relief.
We also know that the rise of white supremacy continues to target members of the Asian American community, leading to Tuesday’s massacre by a white supremacist armed white man. We remain committed to confronting and undoing anti-Blackness, anti- Asian, and anti-immigrant hate and misogyny, on all fronts. We won’t stop fighting until everyone in our communities is protected and safe.
We urge the Senate to move forward immediately with passing the Dream, SECURE, and Farm Workforce Modernization Acts by April 30th. There is no time to waste!”
Heyleng Castro, Member of United We Dream and immigrant youth from Florida, said:
“As someone who never qualified for DACA, I have seen and experienced the ways my immigration status has left me as well as others in my community vulnerable to attacks. If passed into law, the Dream & Promise Act would change my life and the lives of over 3 million other immigrant young people. For me, this bill would mean I could continue my college education and one day have the opportunity to walk across the stage at graduation, something which has been jeopardized because of my immigration status. For me and millions of other immigrant young people, a pathway to citizenship means safety, opportunity and hope. The Senate must do everything in its power to swiftly pass the counterparts to the Dream & Promise and Farm Workforce Modernization bills. Our lives are on the line!”
