WASHINGTON (GNB): On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed the first of two proposals that would legalize large segments of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S..
All House Democrats, joined by nine Republicans voted to approve the American Dream and Promise Act, which passed by a vote of 228 to 197.
The proposal would allow more than 2.3 million “Dreamers,” or unauthorized immigrants who came to the U.S. as minors, as well as beneficiaries of certain temporary humanitarian programs, to gain permanent legal status and eventually, U.S. citizenship.
“Millions in this country live in fear, holding their breaths every day, that they could be deported to faraway lands that are not their homes,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Thursday. “Because America is their home. For Dreamers, it has been their home since their earliest days. And today, this House is going to take action – as we did last Congress – to help them breathe easier.”
The House also approved the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which would establish a system for agricultural workers to earn temporary status with an eventual option to become a permanent resident. The act would also amend the existing H-2A temporary agricultural worker visa program.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, speaking at an event with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus at the Capitol ahead of the votes, said: “It’s always been a pleasure for me to sing the praises of our Dreamers. They make us so proud. For us, this is a day of not only passing legislation but a cause for celebration.”
If signed into law, the American Dream and Promise Act would make recipients of the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and other undocumented immigrants brought to the country before age 18 eligible to apply for a 10-year period of conditional permanent residence if they satisfy several requirements.
The House bills’ prospects were gloomy in the evenly split Senate, where the 50 Democrats will need at least 10 GOP supporters to break Republican filibusters. The outlook was even grimmer for Biden’s more ambitious goal of legislation making citizenship possible for all 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US, easing visa restrictions, improving border security technology and spending billions in Central America to ease problems that prompt people to leave.
Read the proposed American Dram and Promise Act here
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