Texas Dreamers Call on Congress to Deliver Bipartisan Legislation This Year
By Sadhana Singh December 13, 2022
For Immediate Release: December 13, 2022
Contact: Michael Earls at [email protected]
Texas Dreamers Call on Congress to Deliver Bipartisan Legislation This Year
Washington, DC – In the remaining weeks of 2022 and given the urgency for Congress to enact permanent legislative protections for Dreamers this year, TheDream.US is lifting up the voices of TheDream.US Scholars and other affected Dreamers from key states. TheDream.US is the nation’s largest college and career success program for undocumented immigrant students.
In Texas, TheDream.US supports students to attend one of seven in-state colleges and universities through its in-state National Scholarships. Among the Texas Dreamer voices calling on Congress to deliver a legislative solution include:
Elizabeth Sandoval is a former TheDream.US Scholar and graduate of the University of Houston who is a Global Account Manager for a tech company in the energy industry. She writes:
“None of us who ended up in the U.S. as kids had any power, say, or decision in the matter. Even today, although we have worked hard to have a career, build our network, and create a place we can call home, keeping all of this is not guaranteed. We live in a tightrope that could snap at any moment – leaving us with no protections, no employment, and forcing us to lose everything we’ve worked so hard to build in the only country we know as home.
It’s particularly important to me because I have worked hard to study engineering and craft my career how I desired. I grasped my career by the horn … Having permanent protection will help me reach my goals at the time I aspire to make them happen.
I’m just one of many DACAmented mechanical engineers spearheading the energy and electrical industry across the US. I wish to continue to build my skills and become a future leader in the energy industry. I have the pre-qualifications – I just need the time to master my skills. Unfortunately, time is what we DACAmented technologists least have. Without permanent protection, reaching my goal is uncertain.
Again, not because I am incapable, lack the skill, or because there is no need in the market – instead it is because as an 8-year-old, I overstayed a visa. I am almost 30 years old now. I want to continue polishing my skills and become a better asset to our emerging energy and electrical technologies evolution. Please. Help protect our future, so that you can protect your children’s technological future.” Elizabeth speaks Spanish and is available for select media interviews.
Alex Deleon, a TheDream.US Scholar from the University of Houston wants to use his degree in Biomedical Engineering to establish his career, then use that foundation to support philanthropic missions. He writes:
“When I arrived in the U.S. at the age of 5, living in a family member’s garage, I would have never imagined I’d be able to someday become a biomedical engineer. Through hard work, discipline, and the support of selfless teachers, my dream became a reality. DACA allowed me to go to school, secure internships, and ultimately found my career. DACA has also been under threat since its inception. Having now established a career, I look forward to reinvesting my money, skills, and education in the place I call home. Absent permanent protections, it is difficult to make this commitment.”
According to Gaby Pacheco, Director of Advocacy, Communications, and Development of TheDream.US: “As each individual story reminds us, despite all the uncertainty and obstacles placed in their way, Dreamers continue to persevere, succeed, and demonstrate that expanding opportunities to immigrant youth strengthens their futures and the future of our shared country. Enacting a permanent bipartisan solution for Dreamers is the right thing to do and the smart thing to do. Congress should deliver on this urgent priority before the end of the year.”
Recent estimates from the Niskanen Center highlight that the potential beneficiaries of the Dreamer legislation likely to be introduced in Congress will contribute an estimated $1.2 trillion to GDP over ten years and $235 billion in net fiscal contributions. FWD.us additionally released a report, filled with state-by-state data, underscoring the tremendous positive fiscal and economic impact of DACA-eligible individuals.
In partnership with Golden Door Scholars, TheDream.US recently released a survey report of over 1,400 alumni graduates, documenting their reliance on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and their contributions to workplaces and communities across America. The survey underscored the impact of a college degree and work authorization for Dreamers, as well as the importance of Congress delivering a bipartisan legislative solution for Dreamers this year given the endangered status of DACA. Ending DACA combined with legislative inaction would be disastrous for the survey respondents, their families, the larger Dreamer population, and the entire American economy.
TheDream.US is the nation’s largest college and career success program for undocumented immigrant students, having provided more than 8,750 college scholarships to Dreamers attending over 80 partner colleges in 21 states and Washington, DC. We believe everyone, regardless of where they were born, should have equitable access to a college education, a meaningful career, and opportunities to contribute to the communities they call home. For more information on TheDream.US, visit www.thedream.us
Meet TheDream.US Graduates
TheDream.US has over 3,000 graduates who are driven, resilient, and helping move our shared country forward. They are nurses, teachers, authors, computer scientists, research scientists, business entrepreneurs, nurses, policy analysts, social justice workers – all contributing to the social and economic prosperity of this country. Their stories are ones of resilience and determination. Meet some of TheDream.US graduates and their stories here
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