(Washington D.C.) –  Today Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) introduced the DREAM Act of 2017. The bill offers a route to permanent legal status for millions of undocumented immigrant children and families.

Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus Campaign for Children, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization who strongly supports the Dream Act issued the following statement:

“The DREAM Act would create a way for nearly 800,000 undocumented children and adults, who came to the United States as children to pursue their educational and employment goals without threat of deportation. This bill is the strongest version of the DREAM Act yet, granting legal permanent status to individuals who arrived before their 18th birthday and who have been in the U.S. for the past 4 years.

These young people deserve permanent legal status. The United States is their home and many have no connection to the countries their families originated from. The immigration system in this country is broken and this is an important first step in ensuring that individuals who arrived in this country as children and have been in this country for years. We must ensure that these hardworking young people are given opportunities to pursue their dreams, which will only make our nation more prosperous.”

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The First Focus Campaign for Children is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization affiliated with First Focus, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization. The Campaign for Children advocates directly for legislative change in Congress to ensure children and families are a priority in federal policy and budget decisions.