Immigration bills would spare families “toxic fear” of separation

Today, the House of Representatives passed the American Dream and Promise Act of 2021 (H.R. 6), a bill that offers a path to citizenship for more than 3 million immigrant youth and recipients of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED). Lawmakers also passed the Farm Workforce Modernization Act (H.R. 1603), which creates a path to citizenship for agricultural workers, more than half of whom have children in the United States. Both bills passed with bipartisan support. Bruce Lesley, president of First Focus Campaign for Children released the following statement in response:

“We celebrate this day with immigrant youth and other leaders who have fought for many years to protect themselves and their communities. More than half of all farmworkers in the United States have children, and more than 500,000 children in the U.S. have a parent who is a DACA recipient or TPS holder. We urge Congress, particularly the Senate, to pass these bills, which would create stability for these children and families in the country they call home and free them from the toxic fear of family separation, detention, and deportation. These bills are an important first step to reforming our struggling immigration system.” 

Fast Facts: Children and Immigration