With tears of joy, Progressive Democrats of America in Arizona stand with the  hundreds  of thousands of “Dreamers” and millions of activists, citizens, and immigrants  from Phoenix  to New York in supporting President Obama’s bold announcement on Friday,  June 15th…. To the “Dreamers” we salute you. Your active resistance, courage, and  unwavering struggle for justice and fairness, is starting to pay off. We encourage you now to continue to lead the fight for a complete reform of the system, including legislative implementation of the Dream Act.

Last Wednesday marked 10 years since President Obama announced the Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals or DACA. This bold policy granted temporary legal protection from deportation to “Dreamers”—undocumented young people brought to the U.S. as children. It enabled thousands to have a work permit, go to school, and get a driver’s license.

These immigrant youth fought to win DACA and over the years tens of thousands of activists have rallied, marched, and protested in order to protect it. Yet, here we are 10 years later, and the extremely popular policy still remains at risk under Republican attacks, and several court challenges. DACA recipients still have no path to citizenship, objectively turning 800,000 young people into second-class citizens.

The uncertainty and inability to plan for a future is a constant way of life for “Dreamers.”  In July the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals is scheduled to hear a Texas lawsuit challenging DACA’s legality altogether. The court may have a ruling by the end of the year that could cause total chaos for the DACA program and increase fear and anxiety throughout the community.

Let’s be clear: PDA believes the Biden administration and Democratic leaders can and should be doing a lot more. Biden has the power to take action and prioritize the safety for both “Dreamers” and the over 11 million undocumented people in this country.

As PDA activists we need to continue the pressure, elect more progressives to Congress, and fight for real immigration reform. The House of Representatives has passed the DREAM Act. Now, Majority Leader Schumer needs to lead the fight to End the Filibuster and pass the Senate version of the DREAM Act.

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