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News release

Defending DACA, From Coast to Coast

September 7, 2017
Immigration

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

Moms Across Country Working to Convince Congress to Protect DREAMers
WASHINGTON, D.C. – With the future of nearly 800,000 young people, our economy and our nation’s values on the line, MomsRising members across the country are mobilizing quickly to convince Congress to pass the DREAM Act, which would provide a path to legal status for young immigrants who were brought to the United States as children.  On Tuesday, the Trump administration announced it is ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which since 2012 has provided young adults with opportunities to live, learn and work in the United States – the only country many of them have ever known.
 
“That was a heartless decision. Young DREAMers represent the best that our country has to offer. Their hard work contributes greatly to our economy and to our nation’s productivity, strength and vitality,” said Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, executive director and CEO of MomsRising. “Our diversity is what makes our country strong, innovative and prosperous – not the opposite. With this decision, the President not only turned his back on millions of young adults living and working in this country, but also on our economic success.”
 
MomsRising members across the nation are mobilizing, on the ground and online, to convince Congress to pass the DREAM Act. Just since the Trump administration’s announcement on Tuesday:
  • An additional 13,000 MomsRising members have signed a petition urging Congress to pass the DREAM Act, adding to 22,000 petition signatures that were delivered to Senators via email within hours of the announcement;
  • More than 500 MomsRising members submitted letters to their local newspapers in support of the DREAM Act;
  • MomsRising members are planning more than 20 in-district meetings with their senators or representatives in the next two weeks;
  • MomsRising leaders have spoken out at rallies and events in California, Florida, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Washington state; and
  • MomsRising staff joined United We Dream to visit Senate staff on Capitol Hill to deliver storybooks with personal experiences of DREAMers to their senators.
MomsRising is partnering with many allies, including evangelicals, on this work, which includes calls to senators, community events in support of DREAMers and more.
 
“An overwhelming majority of voters favor legal status for DACA recipients and America’s mothers, in particular, oppose ending DACA,” Rowe-Finkbeiner added. “Moms support DREAMers because we know that our country is strongest when we give young people hope and opportunity and help families stay together. I expect the activity from our members to intensify significantly in the weeks ahead.”
 
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NOTE: MomsRising can put media in touch with activists, DREAMers and others with a stake in this debate across the country. For more information, contact Emily Hecker at emily@prsolutionsdc.com or 202/371-1999.
 

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.