Calls on Senate colleagues to support bipartisan BRIDGE Act to shield young undocumented immigrants from deportation
WASHINGTON – With Inauguration Day fast approaching, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) once again called on his Senate colleagues to support bipartisan legislation to ensure that the young undocumented immigrants known as DREAMers remain shielded from deportation under the next Administration.
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Like Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), the Bar Removal of Individuals who Dream and Grow our Economy (BRIDGE) Act would provide temporary relief from deportation and work authorization to young undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children. The BRIDGE Act is sponsored by Senators Durbin and Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
Article continues after sponsor message“I hope that the president-elect will keep DACA in place until we have something that can work to succeed it. I want to salute my colleague on the other side of the aisle, Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. He and I have joined in introducing the BRIDGE Act, which would give President-elect Trump an opportunity to allow these young people to stay – subject to the same approval, the same criminal background check, the same filing fee, the same tax liability – stay on a temporary basis until we do our work in the Senate and House on the issue of immigration,” said Durbin. “In my view, DACA is a lawful exercise for the President. In the view of many Republicans, it is not. The BRIDGE Act is the answer to both points of view. This is a fair, reasonable way to protect these young people until Congress comes up with better, more comprehensive answers when it comes to immigration reform.”
The BRIDGE Act would provide “provisional protected presence” and employment authorization to DACA-eligible individuals. A current DACA recipient would receive provisional protected status until the expiration date of his or her DACA status and could apply for provisional protected presence prior to this expiration. An individual who is not a DACA recipient but who is eligible for DACA could also apply for provisional protected presence. Applicants would be required to pay a reasonable fee, be subject to criminal background checks, and meet a number of eligibility criteria indicating that they came to the United States as minors, grew up in this country, have pursued an education, have not committed any serious crimes, and do not pose a threat to our country.
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