Dear Eric,

At the start of the 119th Congress, the American Dream and Promise Act (H.R. 1589) was reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. This bill has passed in the House on a bipartisan basis on multiple occasions during previous congresses and has long enjoyed support from a wide cross-section of the American public. Up to this point, it has not passed in both the House and Senate, but it continues to have bipartisan support.

The bill would essentially provide a fair, just, and long-term legal solution for Dreamers (people brought to the United States as children who lack legal status but know only this country as their home) and those who have been lawfully relying on temporary protected status (TPS) or deferred enforced departure (DED) for several years. Under current law, there is no direct pathway to permanent legal status for these populations, including for people who have protection under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). In many cases, even those with U.S.-citizen spouses and children do not have access to permanent status. This bill would fix that.

For both groups, eligibility to apply for permanent legal status under H.R. 1589 would be subject to several limitations (such as, for Dreamers, being physically present in the United States since at least January 1, 2021), while also requiring applicants to pay fees, present certain identifying information, and submit to background checks/security vetting.

In 2021, the most recent year this bill was passed by the House, Bishop Mario Dorsonville, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration at the time, submitted written testimony for a hearing on the American Dream and Promise Act. He stated: “Dreamers and TPS/DED holders are our neighbors, parishioners, and—most importantly—fellow children of God. We as a Church have long advocated for their legal protection and full inclusion in the life of our country.” In that same testimony, Bishop Dorsonville quoted the late Pope Francis, who said, “Immigrants, if they are helped to integrate, are a blessing, a source of enrichment and new gift that encourages a society to grow.”

The American Dream and Promise Act would provide such an opportunity for integration, recognizing the positive contributions to American communities already made each day by many Dreamers and longtime residents relying on TPS/DED. Through the procedural mechanism known as a “discharge petition”, the House could be required to vote on H.R. 1589 in the coming days.

Please join in expressing support for this bill with your congressional representative at this pivotal moment in time.

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