Elections are over (mostly) and these next few weeks are critically important for immigrant families and preventing a new wave of family separation! 

Right now, we are expecting a court decision that will likely end DACA, (the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program) which provides legal status for Dreamers, people who were brought to this country as children, making it the only place they have ever called home. This decision would be devastating, not just to the 600,000+ people enrolled in the program but to thousands of families and children as well as America’s workforce, communities, and our economy. Yet courts may be poised to do just that. That’s why it is so urgent that Congress act before the end of the year to create permanent protections for DACA recipients. 

Can we count on you to send a letter to your local paper to send a message to your members of Congress that their constituents care about Dreamers in your community!

It’s time to stand up for Dreamers! DACA recipients have been working tirelessly throughout the pandemic to keep our kids and families healthy and safe. More than 343,000 worked in jobs deemed essential during the pandemic including 34,000 as health care workers providing patient care and another 11,000 working in health care settings keeping facilities functioning! Another 20,000 DACA recipients are working as educators. [1] They showed up everyday to get our kids through the struggles of virtual-learning and are now getting them back on track now as we recover learning-loss after the pandemic. If we lose DACA, an average of 1,200 recipients a day will lose their work authorization, leaving families in danger of economic hardship, deportation and family separation. [2] It could also leave labor market sectors already experiencing shortages in even worse conditions.

More importantly, if we don’t act now, we risk the separation of thousands of families. Currently, 300,000 children, who are U.S. citizens themselves, have at least one parent who is a DACA recipient. [3] These children are at risk of losing a parent to detention or deportation with the end of DACA, meaning we could see a new wave of family separation begin. Even just the fear of losing a parent already has serious negative mental health consequences for these children. [4] Next year will be too late for these kids! 

That’s where you come in! We need you to lift your voice to protect Dreamers and immigrant families! Your member of Congress needs to hear from their constituents to remember why protecting these families with permanent protections is important for our communities! It’s now or never for Dreamers, and the only solution is legislation. 

It’s time to raise your voice in your local newspapers! We make it super easy for you by providing a sample letter, talking points, and even an automatic way to submit it. Click here to get started.

The pre-drafted letter (which you can edit when you click through to the link) simply says:

The DACA program is in grave peril and Congress must act before the end of the year to create permanent protections for the hundreds of thousands of people who were brought to this country as children, making it the only place they have ever called home. DACA recipients, “Dreamers,” are our health care providers, teachers, and care workers. They hold essential jobs that strengthen our communities. Ending DACA could leave labor market sectors already experiencing shortages in even worse conditions. 

Moreover, without permanent protections, families will be separated, which is heartless and cruel. Currently, 300,000 U.S. children have at least one parent who is a DACA recipient. Unless Congress acts, these children could lose their parents to detention or deportation! 

This is an opportunity for bipartisanship in Congress to support Dreamers and keep families together! Americans have supported a legislative fix for nearly a decade. It is long overdue and critical to our community. 

Be sure to submit your letter to the editor now with just a few simple steps. Using our simple online platform to submit your letter makes it fast and easy to do this high impact activity!

And: After you submit your own letter to the editor, please share this with friends. The more of us who send letters, the bigger the impact will be. 

Together, we are a powerful voice for immigrant families!