WASHINGTON, DC – Today, after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 5-4 ruling to block the Trump Administration from terminating the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, U.S. Senator Jack Reed hailed the decision to preserve protections for hundreds of thousands of young unauthorized immigrants, known as “Dreamers.”  Reed noted the decision means that nearly 650,000 young, undocumented immigrants who were brought here as children can continue to live and work in the United States without fear of deportation.  However, Reed also noted that Congress must act in order to create a path to citizenship for Dreamers and prevent future threats of deportation.

Senator Reed stated:

“Today’s Supreme Court decision is a win for America, Rhode Island, and our economy.  It shows people matter, justice matters, and the law matters.

“Diversity strengthens our nation and the Dreamers contribute a great deal to our communities.  Many of these young people are serving as essential workers in the fight against COVID-19.  They were brought here as children, went to school here, and are now serving as doctors, lawyers, nurses, teachers, licensed professionals, or in the military.  They have put down roots and started families and businesses of their own and pay taxes.  America invested in these young people and they are invested in living and working in the nation they love and call home.  It makes no sense to rip them apart from their families now and send them to places they have never known.

“President Trump broke protections for Dreamers and it is long past time for Congress to fix it.  I’m not asking my Republican colleagues to act out of the goodness of their hearts, but they should act in America’s best interest and the interest of their states and pass the DREAM Act.”

“To stay strong, America needs a functioning immigration and naturalization process.  Today’s Supreme Court decision was a rebuke of the President and an admission that his Administration has failed to faithfully uphold and follow the law.”

The bipartisan DREAM Act would allow young immigrants who have worked, studied, and served in the Armed Forces to earn lawful permanent residence and provide them with a path to American citizenship.  In 2013, Senator Reed helped pass the DREAM Act in the U.S. Senate on a bipartisan vote of 68-32.  But the Republican-controlled House of Representatives refused to bring it to the floor for a vote.

Similarly, the now Democratic-controlled House passed the DREAM Act in June 2019 on a bipartisan vote, but a year later, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has still refused to bring this legislation up for a vote.

In April, Reed was one of 38 Senators who penned a joint letter to President Trump urging him to automatically extend work authorizations for DACA and TPS recipients and other impacted immigrants.