Aguilar votes to establish a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and TPS holders

Last week Rep. Pete Aguilar voted to pass H.R. 6, the Dream and Promise Act, which was adopted in the House of Representatives with bipartisan support. The bill would establish a pathway to citizenship for immigrants living in the US under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) status. A recent studyby the Center for American Progress estimates that the bill could provide protections for up to 2.5 million immigrants, including over 562,000 Dreamers in California.

“Throughout my time in Congress, one of my top priorities has been to help Dreamers, who know no other country as their home, secure their futures here in the United States. The Dream and Promise Act is a beacon of hope to the thousands of Dreamers in my community and throughout the country who have waited too long for an opportunity to step out of the shadows and build their lives as citizens of the country they call home. I’m proud to have helped pass this landmark legislation, and I look forward to continuing my advocacy on behalf of the immigrant community,” said Rep. Aguilar.

“Since the president ended DACA, I’ve had to live in a state of uncertainty. The Dream and Promise Act ends that uncertainty and allows me to continue working toward the future I want in the country I call home. I’m grateful to Congressman Aguilar for his support for this bill,” said Silvia Ferrer, a DACA recipient from San Bernardino and student at University of California, Riverside.

“Since I first applied for DACA, I’ve been waiting for the opportunity that H.R. 6 provides. With a path to citizenship, Dreamers like me can continue growing our careers, contributing to our communities and building our lives in the country where we grew up. I’m proud to have an advocate in Washington who stands up for my community,” commented Letty Herrera, a DACA recipient and former intern in Rep. Aguilar’s San Bernardino and Washington, DC offices. 

In the 115^th Congress, Rep. Aguilar led his colleagues in a bipartisan effort to force a vote on the USA Act, bipartisan legislation he co-authored with Texas Republican Rep. Will Hurd that established a path to citizenship for Dreamers. As Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, Aguilar recently secured language in the 2020 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Bill that will allow DACA recipients to be eligible for federal employment.