Memphis-Area Colleges and Organization Pledge to Protect and Defend DREAMers

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Latino Memphis Joins Call for Congress to Act Before the Holidays

Latino Memphis | DACA | Dream ActLast week, Latino Memphis, one of UnidosUS’s Tennessee Affiliates, hosted a panel discussion titled “The Future of DACA.” At the event, six Memphis-area college presidents signed on to a letter to Tennessee Senators Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander, as well as Congressman David Kustoff, who represents the city, urging them to support a legislative solution for DREAMers by the end of the year.

Nearly 300 people attended to hear about how Trump administration’s September decision to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) will impact their community and all communities across the United States in the months to come.

DACA provided young immigrants with temporary deferral of removal for two years, as well as a renewable work permit, enabling many to attend college or support their families.

The program is scheduled to end on March 6, 2018.

Since the Trump administration announced the end of the program, nearly 800,000 young people have been left in limbo. If Congress doesn’t pass a permanent solution by March 6, hundreds of DREAMers each day will lose the ability to stay in school and keep their jobs.

#DREAMACTNOW!

UnidosUS has been working with our Affiliates in states across the country to advocate for a bill that protects DREAMers in time for the holidays. Senior Policy Advisor Carlos Guevara visited the state offices of Representative Kustoff and Senators Corker and Alexander along with Latino Memphis Executive Director Mauricio Calvo, Community Outreach Coordinator Marcos Villa, and Advocacy Coordinator Gina John.

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PASSING A DREAM BILL BENEFITS ALL

In Tennessee alone, there are more than 8,300 DACA recipients who live, study, and work in the state. If they lose their job permits, Tennessee loses $347.3 million in annual GDP.

Nationally, without a permanent DREAM bill, an estimated 685,000 workers would lose their jobs and the GDP would take a $60.3 billion hit over the next decade.

Latino Memphis | DACA | Dream Act
From left: Mauricio Calvo and Gina John of Latino Memphis, along with Carlos Guevara of UnidosUS (far right) met with the staff of the Memphis state office of Senator Bob Corker.

At last week’s panel discussion, Jeanne Batalova, Senior Policy Analyst at the Migration Policy Institute, presented her organization’s analysis of potential DREAM beneficiaries broken down by age, education, gender, state of residence, and likelihood of obtaining legalization. She also examined which offers detailed estimates of potential DREAM Act beneficiaries by age, education levels, gender, state of residence, and likelihood of gaining legalization as well as the impact it could have if approved.findings on the implications that passing a DREAM bill would have in communities across the country.

UnidosUS and its Affiliates, like Latino Memphis, will continue fighting for the passing of a DREAM bill by the end of the year so that DREAMers can truly be here to stay. We can’t afford anything less.

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