Letter to Hon. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House and Hon. Charles Schumer, Majority Leader of the Senate - Congresswoman Ross Leads Letter Urging Congressional Leadership to Include Documented Dreamers in Budget Reconciliation

Letter

Dear Speaker Pelosi and Leader Schumer:

We write to request that any budget reconciliation bill include a pathway to permanent residency for young people who have grown up in the United States as dependents of long-term visa holders. We ask that these individuals --often referred to as "Documented Dreamers"-- be included in any measures to establish a pathway to permanent status for Dreamers.

Like Dreamers, many of these young people were raised in this country, completed their education in the American school system, and graduated with degrees from American institutions of higher education. As STEM graduates, high-performing students, and essential workers, they contribute significantly to our nation.

However, once these individuals turn 21, they are no longer eligible for temporary visa status as dependents of their parents. Additionally, due to the decades-long backlogs in the immigrant visa system, many of them will "age out" of eligibility for permanent resident status, even though their parents' applications remain pending. Others, such as the dependents of E-1 and E-2 nonimmigrants, have no path to permanent residence. After turning 21, Documented Dreamers are forced to obtain their own nonimmigrant status if they want to remain in the United States. However, these options are limited and only temporary in nature. If they are unable to obtain their own nonimmigrant status, they must make the untenable choice of remaining here with their families without status or returning alone to their country of birth.

Documented Dreamers are also not eligible for protection from removal under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals ("DACA") because DACA only applies to individuals who were in the United States without lawful status on June 15, 2012.1 In short, Documented Dreamers are at a disadvantage solely because their parents brought them into the United States in lawful status.

Although past legislation to provide a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers has excluded Documented Dreamers, this year, H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act, included this deserving group of individuals.

There is strong bipartisan support for providing relief to Documented Dreamers, and we ask that you consider including all Dreamers--both those who came to this country without documentation as well as young people who have maintained status as dependents--in any. upcoming reconciliation bill.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,