A sign in support of DACA Dreamers lies at the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court after the court (Photo : REUTERS/Tom Brenner)
Young "Dreamer" immigrants who came to the United States illegally as children would win a path to citizenship under a bill to be voted on in the House of Representatives on Thursday, as Democrats try to reverse former President Donald Trump's hard-line policies.
A second measure would shield about 1 million immigrant farm workers from deportation, with the eventual goal of also granting them citizenship.
The legislation coincides with Democratic President Joe Biden's efforts to contain the number of migrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border, many of whom are fleeing dangerous conditions in Central America. But the House proposals face an uphill battle in the Senate.
The southwest border situation hardened Republican opposition to helping Dreamers: around 1.8 million young immigrants. They made the dangerous journey on their own, with parents or hired hands, often to escape gang violence in Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and other countries.
Many have spent most of their lives in the United States and have been educated in U.S. schools.
During Thursday's debate, Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal noted she came from India to the United States alone at the age of 16. For the 4.4 million people affected by the "Dreamers" legislation, Jayapal said, "Let's stop the hypocrisy of criminalizing immigrants."
Jayapal was referring to Dreamers along with other groups of immigrants included in the legislation.
But Republican Representative Chip Roy said Democrats were doing "nothing to address cartels who have ownership of our border right now" and are pushing legislation that would prove to be "a magnet for traffic of more children."
The twin bills got a boost from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the nation's largest business lobbying group, which cited companies' worries over immigrant workers' "uncertain future."
It also noted that American workers employed at businesses established by Dreamers would gain job security as a result and that visa improvements for agriculture workers would help U.S. operations with year-round labor needs, such as dairy farms.
The Dreamers bill also would help a separate group of immigrants, who came from countries that were devastated by civil wars and natural disasters, and had qualified for temporary protections in the United States.
As president, Trump rolled back the Temporary Protected Status program. In 2017 he also rescinded former President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program aimed at shielding qualifying Dreamers from deportation.
Court rulings and the Biden administration have kept DACA alive, at least for now.
The White House backed both bills. But it also urged lawmakers to adopt broader reforms in Biden's sweeping immigration bill introduced last month, saying this would secure the border and "address the root causes of instability and unsafe conditions causing migration from Central America."
"We can't keep waiting," Biden wrote on Twitter. "I urge Congress to come together to find long term solutions to our entire immigration system so we can create a safe, orderly, and humane immigration system, tackle the root causes of migration and legalize the undocumented population in the United States."
Biden's wide-ranging plan would provide a path to U.S. citizenship to the 11 million immigrants in the country illegally. However, the Senate's No. 2 Democrat, Dick Durbin, said this week that goal does not have enough support in the House or Senate.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell panned the House efforts on Thursday, saying they would exacerbate problems at the border, further dimming prospects in that chamber, where a supermajority of at least 60 of 100 members are needed for most legislation to advance.
Democrats began pushing for Dreamer protections in 2001. But time after time, most recently in 2018, legislation sputtered in the House or Senate amid opposition from Republicans.
