The House Democrats tabled a bill on Tuesday to pave the way for citizenship for undocumented immigrant youth under the Deferred Action Plan for Children's Arrivals, as well as for people benefiting from illegal immigration. 39, other temporary protections against immigration.
Although California representative Lucille Roybal-Allard introduced HR 6, also known as the Dream and Promise Act, her co-authors include President Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. Majority Leader, Steny Hoyer, D-Md. ., as well as representatives from New York, Nydia M. Velázquez and Yvette D. Clarke, among the other main sponsors of the bill.
This announcement has given hope to people like Ana Argueta, 55, who has been living and working in the United States for ten years as a janitor of the cleanup sites, as part of the federal program known as temporary protection status.
The GST is granted to countries ravaged by natural disasters or war and allows citizens of these countries to stay in the United States until the situation improves at home. In recent decades, the previous administrations of both parties have renewed the TPS status of the recipient, but the Trump administration has stated that it would terminate the TPS for the majority of recipients.
Although the courts have temporarily prevented the Trump administration from ending TPS, families are hoping that Democrat legislation, if passed, could provide them with a permanent solution once and for all.
"I think it's good," Argueta told NBC News in Spanish. "Now, we have to trust that, yes, it will go to the end."
Argueta, born in El Salvador, is one of about 325,000 people with GST status in the United States who could become US citizens if the new legislation is finally passed. Salvadorans were eligible for GST status in 2001 after the devastating earthquake.
The bill also provides a path to citizenship for thousands of Liberians for whom a delayed forced departure has been granted, called DED, which is not considered an immigration status. but protects a designated population from deportation.
"I ask legislators to kindly keep us in their conscience and reform us on immigration. It's time. We deserve it. We have been contributing for a long time and paying our taxes like everyone else, "said Argueta, a member of the 32BJ SEIU workers' union.
Pelosi spoke at a press conference announcing the new legislation.
"We are waiting for a strong bipartisan vote to pass this bill," she said.
When it is enacted, the bill will also bring protections to people such as Jessica Garcia, one of the 800,000 dreamers with DACA status, which allows undocumented young immigrants like her who have been brought to the United States as children to work and study without fear of being deported.
"This bill does not concern dreams, but realities," said García, 21, who is also a member of CHIRLA, a rights group working to defend the human and civil rights of immigrants and refugees. "I ask Congress to adopt a permanent solution that would permanently protect people like me."
According to Roybal-Allard, the bill would give permanent legal status to immigrants who have been brought to the United States to 17 years of age or younger and who are employed in higher education or the military. It would also give DACA beneficiaries access to tuition fees in colleges, federal student aid and access to citizenship.
"My experience as a youth of diverse backgrounds makes me a strong, passionate and determined American citizen waiting," said García, who considers himself "as American as" The Star-Spangled Banner ", but with a proud Oaxaca heritage . "
Veláquez agreed.
"It's an American in every way, but on paper, and it's today that we'll start to turn the tide," Velázquez said of García.
To the applause, Hoyer closed the press conference stating that "as the leader of the majority, I am here to promise that this bill will be introduced".
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Nicole Acevedo
Nicole Acevedo is a journalist with NBC News Digital, where she writes, writes and produces content for NBC Latino.