Today, Harlem Rep. Espaillat released the following statement in recognition of the ninth anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
Commonly known as DACA, first announced by President Obama in 2012.
“On the ninth anniversary of DACA, we take this opportunity to reflect on the tireless and valiant courage that our immigrant youth have displayed in coming forward to apply for this critical program, despite years of uncertainty perpetrated by the previous administration and various court decisions,” said Rep. Espaillat.
“For four years, we fought to defend DACA from constant xenophobic attacks by Republican elected officials, including the prior administration, but our resolve to protect DACA prevailed. As a formerly undocumented immigrant who came to this country as a child, that fight was personal to me. Dreamers are our children, and when I look into their faces, I see my own.
“While my Democratic colleagues and I continue our fight for legislation that will preserve the future of Dreamers in this country, we reaffirm our commitment to DACA recipients and the promise that was made to protect them. Furthermore, we must all acknowledge that DACA is the floor, not the ceiling — and we have a responsibility to deliver citizenship for millions of young people, TPS holders, and essential workers this year. After decades years of inaction, it is incumbent upon us to deliver on our promise. If our Republican colleagues choose not to negotiate in good faith and provide a pathway to citizenship, we must include citizenship in our next budget reconciliation package. Our youth simply cannot wait.”
Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill, and the northwest Bronx.
First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his third term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government’s vital activities.
He is also a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), where he serves as the Second Vice-Chair and is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, where he serves as Deputy Whip.
Representative Espaillat also currently serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus.
To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/
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