WASHINGTON (AP) — A bipartisan group of 43 lawmakers has urged the Biden administration to take immediate action to protect more than 250,000 documented Dreamers, a large number of whom are Indians, who are self-immigrants after being locked out of temporary legal status. -Will be forced into exile. Obtained through their parents' visa.
Documented Dreamers are foreign nationals who enter the United States as dependents under their parents' temporary, nonimmigrant visa status, usually a work visa.
Despite growing up in the United States with legal status, children of long-term visa holders lose their dependent status when they turn 21 and often have a hard time coming to the United States if they cannot transition to the new status. There is no option left but to leave. The lawmakers said in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Ur M Jaddou."This is because, in part, their families' adjustment of status applications face extensive backlogs, preventing them from achieving permanent resident status," the letter said.
The campaign was led by Senator Alex Padilla, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Security, and Representative Deborah Ross, who have introduced a bipartisan legislative effort to protect more than 250,000 documented Dreamers through the America's Children Act .
"These youth grow up in the United States, complete their education in the American school system, and graduate with degrees from American institutions," the lawmakers wrote.
"However, due to the long green-card backlog, families with approved immigrant petitions often wait decades for permanent resident status."
“While we continue to pursue legislative solutions to permanently protect these individuals, such as the bipartisan and bicameral America's Children Act of 2023, we urge you to take administrative action to protect the thousands of children who remain, Who may be forced into self-exile every year." " the MPs continued.
Specifically, lawmakers made three recommendations to help address the dangers faced by Documented Dreamers.
This includes clarifying the use of deferred action on a case-by-case basis, where discretion is needed for children of long-term visa holders whose age excludes status; and expanding eligibility for employment authorization (for a noncitizen worker to become a permanent resident in the United States) to dependents of children of visa holders and to those with an approved I-140 petition.
It also called for the creation of a process to allow long-term visa holders to seek parole on a case-by-case basis if necessary for urgent humanitarian reasons or for an important public benefit.
Documented Dreamers are foreign nationals who enter the United States as dependents under their parents' temporary, nonimmigrant visa status, usually a work visa.
Despite growing up in the United States with legal status, children of long-term visa holders lose their dependent status when they turn 21 and often have a hard time coming to the United States if they cannot transition to the new status. There is no option left but to leave. The lawmakers said in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Ur M Jaddou."This is because, in part, their families' adjustment of status applications face extensive backlogs, preventing them from achieving permanent resident status," the letter said.
The campaign was led by Senator Alex Padilla, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Security, and Representative Deborah Ross, who have introduced a bipartisan legislative effort to protect more than 250,000 documented Dreamers through the America's Children Act .
"These youth grow up in the United States, complete their education in the American school system, and graduate with degrees from American institutions," the lawmakers wrote.
"However, due to the long green-card backlog, families with approved immigrant petitions often wait decades for permanent resident status."
“While we continue to pursue legislative solutions to permanently protect these individuals, such as the bipartisan and bicameral America's Children Act of 2023, we urge you to take administrative action to protect the thousands of children who remain, Who may be forced into self-exile every year." " the MPs continued.
Specifically, lawmakers made three recommendations to help address the dangers faced by Documented Dreamers.
This includes clarifying the use of deferred action on a case-by-case basis, where discretion is needed for children of long-term visa holders whose age excludes status; and expanding eligibility for employment authorization (for a noncitizen worker to become a permanent resident in the United States) to dependents of children of visa holders and to those with an approved I-140 petition.
It also called for the creation of a process to allow long-term visa holders to seek parole on a case-by-case basis if necessary for urgent humanitarian reasons or for an important public benefit.
