This statement can be attributed to Olivia Golden, executive director of the Center for Law and Social Policy.

Washington, D.C., June 4, 2019—Today’s passage of the Dream and Promise Act of 2019 (H.R. 6) by the U.S. House of Representatives in a bipartisan vote of 237 to 187 is an important win for 2 million+ people with long-term roots in the United States who are key supports to their families and communities. The bill addresses the crisis created by the Trump Administration when it removed protections for more than 800,000 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) beneficiaries and 400,000 immigrants with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED).

The bill provides an accessible and inclusive pathway to citizenship for people harmed by the Trump Administration’s reckless decisions to terminate DACA, TPS, and DED (for certain countries). The individuals affected include undocumented young people who came here as children, have been educated in our schools, and call the United States home. The first bill of its kind to provide permanent relief for both Dreamers and TPS holders, this act represents a critical step forward for stabilizing the lives of immigrants and their families affected by the Trump Administration’s anti-immigrant agenda, including the approximately half a million U.S.-born citizen children at risk of being separated from a parent with DACA or TPS. By including low-income, working people who have been left out of previous legislative and administrative proposals, this bill provides a ladder to economic prosperity to more immigrants, their families, and their communities.

The Center for Law and Social Policy applauds the leaders in the immigrant community who paved the way to get us to this historic moment. We also commend Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), and Yvette Clark (D-NY) for their leadership on this bill and thank the 237 members who voted to approve it. We are committed to continuing to work with our partners to push back against the Trump Administration’s relentless attacks on the safety and wellbeing of immigrant families and to help advance policy solutions that promote opportunity for all.

# # # #

CLASP is a national, nonpartisan, anti-poverty organization advancing policy solutions for people with low incomes. For 50 years, we’ve offered trusted expertise, a deeply knowledgeable staff, and practical yet visionary approaches to opportunity for all. CLASP centers the voices of people with low incomes, equips advocates with strategies that work, and helps public officials put good ideas into practice. Our solutions directly address the barriers people face because of race, ethnicity, and immigration status. For more information, visit clasp.org and follow us on Twitter @CLASP_DC.