Rep. Casten Votes to Pass Two Historic Immigration Bills:
Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. Sean Casten (IL-06) voted to pass H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act, and H.R. 1603, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, two landmark pieces of legislation to modernize and reform our immigration system and secure permanent protections and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who have been, and will continue to be, key to the economic recovery of our nation.
"When Ronald Reagan said that the day America stops welcoming immigrants is the day we stop being Americans, he was exactly right." said Rep. Casten. "DACA protects the immigration status of 700,000 American residents who came to this country as children and have known no other home. In Illinois, our more than 33.000 Dreamers are students, entrepreneurs, members of the armed services, and health care workers and who've fought tirelessly on the frontlines of this pandemic to keep the rest of us safe. By making the DACA program permanent and giving DREAMers a path to citizenship, we will fuel our economic recovery and reinvigorate our communities for years to come.
"Today, Congress took critical action to honor the dignity and humanity of all those who come to our country to build a brighter future for themselves and their families," continued Rep. Casten. "but there's a lot that remains to be done to ensure America continues to be a beacon of hope and opportunity like it was when so many of our parents and grandparents arrived here not all that long ago."
The American Dream and Promise Act – establishes a path to lawful permanent resident (LPR) status for Dreamers and for certain individuals who either held or were eligible for TPS or DED. The majority of these individuals have been in the United States for much of their lives, often with work authorization and temporary protections against deportation. Five years after attaining full LPR status, individuals are then eligible to apply for citizenship, a path that is supported by nearly 75 percent of the American public. H.R. 6 promotes justice and fairness for our nation's Dreamers, and for the TPS and DED holders who fled ongoing armed conflict and other extraordinary conditions to come to this country and who have been contributing to our economy and our communities for years and are employed at high rates in industries that often struggle to find sufficient U.S. workers.
The Farm Workforce Modernization Act – stabilizes the agricultural sector and preserves our rural heritage by ensuring that farmers can meet their labor needs by establishing a program for agricultural workers, their spouses and minor children can earn legal Certified Agricultural Worker (CAW) status through continued agricultural employment. H.R. 1603 also reforms the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program to provide more flexibility for employers, while ensuring critical protections for workers. And to ensure a legal workforce for the agriculture sector, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act establishes a mandatory, nationwide E-Verify system to ensure compliance with the reformed H-2A visa program while also protecting workers' due process rights.
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