***For Immediate Release***
Tuesday, June 4, 2019
Contact: Magdalena Cazarez
Communications Director
Office: (402) 438-8853 Ext 119
Cell: (402) 504-0074
mcazarez@neappleseed.org
Congress makes history with House passage of the Dream and Promise Act
Protecting Dreamers and TPS residents is a common ground principle for America
LINCOLN – Today, the House of Representatives took a positive stride for our country by passing the American Dream and Promise Act, including a vote from Nebraska Representative Don Bacon. This bill creates a long overdue process to apply for residency and eventual citizenship for Dreamers and longtime residents with Temporary Protected Status (TPS), who are part of the fabric of communities across our state and our country. Appleseed’s Immigrants & Communities Organizer, Alejandra Ayotitla, in response:
“Today’s major moment recognizes that Dreamers, like myself, and TPS and DED residents are Americans in every sense. We are your coworkers, teachers, accountants, counselors, and more than anything, we are your neighbors. We have been contributing for many decades to our communities across Nebraska. This represents a hopeful step closer to a brighter, stable future for many of us who call this country our home.
“We are tremendously grateful for the support of community leaders and advocates all across the state who joined us for letter deliveries, held community conversations, and talked to their Nebraska representatives, urging them to support the Dream and Promise Act. We value your dedication and determination during this long fight for strong, stable Nebraska communities. We sincerely thank Nebraska Representative Don Bacon for valuing every Nebraskan. Now, we must push forward and urge the Senate to pass the Dream and Promise Act.”
Statewide Nebraska organizations and leaders expressed strong support for the Dream and Promise Act, including last week’s announcement from the Lincoln and Greater Omaha Chambers of Commerce.
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Since 2001, versions of the bipartisan Dream Act have been pending in Congress. The average time a Temporary Protected Status resident has lived in the U.S. is 22 years. State-by-state estimates of Dreamer and TPS populations and their tax and economic contributions can be found here.
What wonderful news! As a member of the Omaha Togather One Community Immigration and Action Team and as a advocate for immigrants,Dreamers,TPS, DED and Refugees I have got to know many people who have this status. They are a wonderful group of people with many talents which have already made wonderful contributions to our country! For their hard work they should be rewarded with citizenship!