Citing an uncertain future for hundreds of thousands of Dreamers, their employers, families, and communities after a Texas federal judge declared DACA unlawful and closed the DACA program to future applicants, more than 400 university presidents, CEOs, and civic leaders, including Hollins University President Mary Dana Hinton, sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) advocating passage of the bipartisan Durbin-Graham DREAM Act of 2021.
According to the American Immigration Council, “The DREAM Act would permanently protect certain immigrants who came to the United States as children but are vulnerable to deportation….[It] would provide current, former, and future undocumented high-school graduates and GED recipients a pathway to U.S. citizenship through college, work, or the armed services.”
“We urge the Senate to come together and immediately provide a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients and DACA-eligible individuals through the passage of the bipartisan DREAM Act, and if necessary, through budget reconciliation,” the letter states. “We understand no bill is perfect, but we believe this existing bipartisan bill is the best framework to protect Dreamers rather than starting over with new legislation.”
Read the letter here. See the full list of signatories here.
The letter was convened by the American Business Immigration Coalition, a bipartisan group of more than 1,200 business leaders from across the country, and the nonpartisan, nonprofit Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, which brings together over 500 college and university presidents and chancellors on immigration issues that impact higher education.
