Curbelo Calls on House Leadership To Back Up Words With Action: Bring RAC Act to the Floor

Statement

Representative Carlos Curbelo (FL-26) issued the following statement regarding today's announcement of the Administration's decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and the need for Congress to pass the H.R. 1468, the Recognizing America's Children (RAC) Act:

"Over the years, immigrant children have arrived in our country -- brought by their parents who either crossed one of our borders or overstayed their visas. For most of these young people, the United States is the only country they have ever called home. These children have attended school with our own children, worship at our churches, and grow up seeking to serve in our military, pursue a degree in higher learning, or contribute to our workforce and economy.

"These are America's children and they should not have to live in constant fear of being deported to their parents' homeland, a place many of them have no connection to or memories of living in.

"The Administration's decision reinforces what we have known for some time -- Congress must take action to provide a fair and permanent solution for these young immigrants. The Recognizing America's Children Act I introduced earlier this year would not only give peace of mind to hundreds of thousands across the country but also help grow our economy and create new jobs. It's also just the right thing to do.

"I encourage the President to focus on deporting criminals, not enforcement that divides families. But more importantly, I urge all my Congressional colleagues who want to help these young people -- all thoroughly vetted -- to support responsible immigration policies like the RAC Act, and I call on Leadership to bring it to the Floor for a vote. To all Americans who have it in their hearts to do something for these innocent young people, call your representatives and Congressional leaders and tell them the time to do the right thing is now."

BACKGROUND

Curbelo introduced the Recognizing America's Children (RAC) Act earlier this year. According to a Niskanen Center report, passage of the RAC Act would increase gross domestic product (GDP) by $79 billion over ten years and create 115,000 new jobs.

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