U.S. House to vote on Dream and Promise Act (H.R. 6)

All Democrats from Washington state support protections for Dreamers and TPS immigrants. Will any GOP members?

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 3, 2019) — Since taking office, the Trump administration has worked relentlessly to restrict the U.S. immigration system, limiting immigrants’ abilities to come to the United States and making life more difficult for those already here. In particular, the administration has taken steps to strip protection from deportation and work authorization from several groups of immigrants who have lived in the country for decades — those with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED).

The Dream and Promise Act of 2019 (H.R. 6), which is strongly supported by the AFL-CIO, offers a pathway to citizenship for these and certain similarly situated immigrants who have spent much of their lives in the United States. Dreamers who are eligible for protection under the bill on average arrived in the United States at the age of 8 and have grown up and built their lives knowing the United States as their home. Immigrants eligible for TPS or DED—programs protecting individuals in the United States whose countries of origin are experiencing ongoing armed conflict, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions—have, on average, lived in the United States since 1997.

H.R. 6 could get a vote from the U.S. House of Representatives as early as Tuesday, June 4. Among Washington state’s House delegation, H.R. 6 is co-sponsored by all seven Democratic members. But supporters are hopeful that Republican Reps. Dan Newhouse, Jaime Herrera Beutler and Cathy McMorris Rodgers, each of whom have expressed sympathy for the plight of Dreamers amid the Trump administration’s crackdown and called for a legislative solution, will vote “yes” on H.R. 6 to provide bipartisan momentum as it advances to the Senate.

Immigrants eligible for protection under H.R. 6 are part of Washington state’s social fabric. According to the Center for American Progress:

●  Washington is home to 52,200 immigrants who are eligible for protection under the Dream and Promise Act.

●  These individuals live with 121,200 family members; among those family members, 23,500 are U.S.-born citizen children.

●  Dreamers in Washington who are eligible for protection under the bill arrived in the
United States at the average age of 8.

●  TPS- and DED-eligible immigrants in Washington who would be eligible for protection under H.R. 6 have on average lived in the United States since 1996.

In addition, Washington’s economy benefits from immigrants eligible for protection under H.R. 6:

●  Immigrants eligible for the Dream and Promise Act own 4,400 homes in Washington and pay $45,800,000 in annual mortgage payments.

●  Eligible immigrants and their households contribute $428,800,000 in federal taxes and $229,200,000 in state and local taxes each year.

●  Annually, these households generate $1,744,300,000 in spending power.