Passing the Dream Act is a Civil and Human Rights Issue
Congress must act immediately.

Eight months ago, more than 100 national civil and human rights organizations sent a letter urging President Trump to maintain the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
“Ending DACA — or worse, moving to deport any DACA recipients, also known as “Dreamers” — would do a grave injustice to hundreds of thousands of young immigrants raised in America, would undermine our economy, and would diminish our moral standing as a nation,” the groups wrote.
But earlier this month, Trump chose to end the program that has helped approximately 800,000 young adults in America raise families, volunteer to serve in our military, start their own businesses, and become integral parts of our communities.
Trump’s decision is an attack on immigrant families living in our communities, as well as on our values of fairness, equality, and opportunity. And now, Congress has a constitutional responsibility to protect Dreamers. Passing the Dream Act of 2017, without amendment, is urgent and must be done immediately.
As the nation’s oldest and largest civil and human rights coalition, we recognize that an attack on any one of our communities is an attack on all of us. Today, we stand united with Dreamers and with immigrant families across the nation. Indeed, Congress’ consideration and passage of the Dream Act is one of our highest priorities.
That’s why nearly 190 civil and human rights organizations sent a letter to Congress this month to make that widespread priority known. “The President has repeatedly tried to divide this nation, but we urge you to show real leadership. We need more than rhetoric. We need action,” the letter said. “These vulnerable young people should not be used as bargaining chips or hostages by those who want to exploit President Trump’s cruel decision.”
Many in Congress have spoken out recently to condemn white nationalism and bigotry, and have criticized the president’s rhetoric about the events in Charlottesville. But make no mistake: Trump’s decision to end the common-sense protections of the DACA program is what white nationalists wanted him to do. They want non-whites to feel vulnerable and unwelcome in this country no matter how long they have lived here. But the question now is how Congress will act given that Trump has pushed the fate of Dreamers to them. Will members of Congress act to protect hundreds of thousands of our young people, or will they act to advance a white nationalist agenda? Their actions will speak louder than their words.
When civil rights icon and Congressman John Lewis testified in January against Jeff Sessions’ Attorney General nomination (the man who actually announced Trump’s decision), he quoted one of our three founders. “As the late A. Phillip Randolph, who was the dean of the March on Washington in 1963 often said, ‘our foremothers and forefathers all came to this land in different ships, but we’re all in the same boat now.’” We need that same sense of unity now more than ever.
Dreamers have grown up here and are integral members of our communities. Trump has unnecessarily caused their lives and their livelihoods to be threatened, but now it is on Congress to reject the white nationalist agenda and instead pass the bipartisan Dream Act without amendment.
The president’s decision to end DACA was inhumane, cruel, and shameful. Our civil and human rights coalition calls on Congress to pass a clean Dream Act immediately and to stand with Dreamers — who make America stronger every single day.








