Polis champions bipartisan compromise for dreamers

Press Release

Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., sponsored the Uniting and Securing America (USA) Act today, alongside dozens of other members of Congress, Republicans and Democrats. The USA Act, heralded as the bipartisan compromise for dreamers, moves forward the principles behind the Dream Act, providing a mechanism for young dreamers to attain legal residency for up to eight years.

"The situation for dreamers is desperate and urgent, and requires Congress to set aside political games and collaborate now. From the beginning, I have advocated for passage of the Dream Act - even offering the bill as an amendment twice - and I am confident that the bipartisan USA Act will deliver robust protections for dreamers. We can't wait any longer. Since the President dismantled the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, over 15,000 dreamers have already lost their protections from deportation. The deadline for action is now so that the Dept. of Homeland Security has the time necessary to create and implement a new program before March 6," said Polis.

The USA Act provides a temporary, but long-term, solution for young people, below the age of 18, who resided in the U.S. on Dec. 31, 2013 or before then.

It also addresses the backlog in immigration courts by allowing 55 immigration judges to be added to the system each year for the next three years. Finally, it incorporates a boarder security plan that uses technology at the border to stop illegal crossings, as opposed to the gimmicky "border wall" plan presented by President Trump.

Since the announcement that the Trump administration will terminate DACA, Polis has been exhausting every option possible to find a fix that is as expansive and inclusive of as many dreamers as possible. He is a sponsor of the Dream Act, H.R. 3440; BRIDGE Act, H.R.496; American Hope Act of 2017, H.R.3591; ENLIST Act, H.R. 60.

He participates in a task force on immigration with the bipartisan Congressional Problem Solvers Caucus, and has been actively collaborating with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Polis has been a consummate champion for fixing our broken immigration system to align with American values since joining Congress. In October 2013, he introduced the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, a bill that would have improved national security, streamlined our country's guest worker system, and created a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented individuals. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the bill would have reduced the deficit by nearly $200 billion over ten years. The Senate companion of this landmark bill passed in June 2013 and was widely heralded as one of the most significant attempts at comprehensive immigration reform in decades. He is also the co-chair of the Congressional Mexico Friendship Caucus.

Prior to serving in Congress, Polis founded The New America School - a network of charter schools in several states serving new immigrants and English-language learners.

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