New video answers key questions about DACA and the role of Dreamers in the U.S.

Jul 20, 2020 by AFP

In light of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, Americans are asking thoughtful questions about the program’s history and the many ways Dreamers contribute to communities and businesses across the country.

In a new video, Americans for Prosperity President Tim Phillips explains key details about how we got to where we are today.

When did Congress first try to address the situation regarding Dreamers?

The DREAM Act was first introduced in Congress in 2001. Since then, both parties have prioritized partisan efforts instead of negotiating a non-partisan deal.

As Phillips points out, this failure to provide a permanent solution for nearly 20 years affects not only Dreamers, but the communities and business that rely on their contributions, too:

Can’t Dreamers just apply for legal status?

There are no viable options for Dreamers within the existing U.S. immigration system. The available avenues — employment or family-based visas, or seeking asylum or refugee status — are highly regulated, costly, and time consuming.

The law requires those who have gone without legal status for more than a year to return to their country of origin and stay for 10 years to be eligible to pursue these paths. For people who have been in the U.S. since childhood, that’s simply not feasible.

How are Dreamers contributing to America?

Dreamers are our neighbors, students, teachers, health care workers, employees, employers, and men and women in our armed services.

And, as our country faces a global pandemic, we are seeing the valuable contributions made by the nearly 30,000 Dreamers working as nurses, physicians’ assistants, and other health professionals to battle COVID-19.

Phillips shares the stories of some of these Dreamers, and breaks down the numbers regarding how Dreamers contribute to the U.S. economy: