A year ago today, the Administration took up the cause of “Dreamers” and took action to make our immigration system more representative of our values as a nation. By removing the threat of deportation for people brought to the country as children, we were able to continue to focus our enforcement efforts on criminals who endanger our communities rather than students who are pursuing an education.
These young men and women are Americans in their hearts, in their minds, in every way but on paper. And because the Administration acted, today thousands of ambitious, hardworking young people have been able to emerge from the shadows, no longer living in fear of deportation. But the steps we took were never meant to be a permanent solution. That’s why we need Congress to pass a bipartisan, commonsense immigration reform bill as soon as possible so that these “Dreamers” can keep contributing to this country and help us live up to our history as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants.