Campaign Action
A month after American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten was arrested in a massive act of civil disobedience in Washington, D.C., in defense of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, the organization is upping the pressure on House Republicans who had issued a letter calling on Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan to act on legislation before Christmas. But the holidays have come and gone, and every day GOP leadership refuses to act, 122 DACA recipients lose their work permits and protection from deportation. This is a crisis for Dreamers and for our nation, and the AFT is calling on this group of legislators to act once and for all:
Taking a stand is good, but more is needed. By Jan. 19, these 34 Republicans need to get Ryan and his leadership to hold a vote on a bill that provides permanent protection for Dreamers. It’s Republicans who control Congress and the fate of 800,000 Dreamers. If they join Democrats, who support the Dreamers as well, Dreamers can be protected from deportation.
The time for action is now. More than 14,000 Dreamers have already lost protection from DACA and are vulnerable to deportation. These young people have been in the United States since childhood; many are still children themselves. They are college students, nurses, teachers and business owners. They have done everything we’ve asked, and it’s time for Congress to pass a permanent solution so they can continue to live their lives and contribute to our nation.
That includes an estimated 20,000 DACA-eligible educators who face being torn from their students, classrooms, and homes unless the Republican Congress passes the DREAM Act this month. Keeping Dreamers in America has overwhelming public support, with nearly 80 percent of Americans—including 64 percent of Republicans—supporting citizenship for Dreamers. The only place this is the least bit controversial is among Republicans in Washington. The AFT’s campaign—targeting House Republicans like New York’s Peter King, Florida’s Carlos Curbelo and California’s Mimi Walters in collaboration with progressive groups like NARAL, SEIU, and United We Dream—is calling on them to get with the program and listen to the American people.