WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today the House passed H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act, to provide permanent protections and a path to citizenship for Dreamers. Rep. Greg Stanton, a co-sponsor of the bill, spoke on the House floor about its merits and benefits to Arizona.
“This bill does more than the right thing—it does a smart thing,” Stanton said. “Make no mistake, this is an economic stimulus bill. The economic gains in communities across the country will be significant—and fewer stand to benefit more than mine.”
H.R. 6 establishes a process for eligible Dreamers to apply for lawful permanent resident status if they came to the U.S. before the age of 18 and have been in the country for at least 4 years. It also provides “conditional” status for up to 10 years to Dreamers who meet specific educational benchmarks, and full permanent resident status to those meeting more advanced education, military or employment criteria.
Arizona is home to more than 65,400 immigrants who are eligible for protection under the Dream and Promise Act. An analysis from the Center for American Progress found Phoenix and Mesa among the cities that stand to benefit the most from the bill’s passage.
Eligible immigrants and their households in Arizona contribute more than $485.3 million in federal, state and local taxes each year. Those households also generate more than $1.5 billion in spending power. If the bill became law, those households could continue to contribute to the economy without fear of deportation. [Source]
“Dreamers are an integral part of our community—our neighbors, our coworkers, our friends. They are woven into the social and economic fabric of our entire region, and we have a responsibility to make sure they can continue to contribute and participate fully without fear,” Stanton said.
In addition to Dreamers, the bill also includes protections for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) holders, who have lived much of their lives in the U.S.
The economic power of Arizona’s TPS holders alone is notable: Collectively, they have a spending power of more than $70 million, and they contribute $12 million in federal taxes and $8.8 million in state and local taxes per year. [Source]
H.R. 6 earned the support of many immigrants’ rights organizations, faith-based organizations, labor unions and civil rights organizations including United We Dream, AFL-CIO, American Civil Liberties Union, Human Rights Campaign and more than a dozen others.
Stanton’s full Floor remarks as prepared are below:
I rise today in support of H.R. 6 the American Dream and Promise Act.
For so many, this day is a long time coming. It would not be possible without many people and organizations—including in my home state of Arizona—who never stopped fighting, who never gave up hope on this dream.
We’re here today to pass a bill that will provide permanent protections and a pathway to citizenship for our Dreamers—a solution that is long overdue, one that will lift up 2 million people across the nation. for many, giving them a permanent place in the only home, the only country they have ever known.
But this bill does more than the right thing—it does a smart thing.
Because make no mistake, this is an economic stimulus bill. The economic gains in communities across the country will be significant—and fewer stand to benefit more than mine.
The Phoenix metro ranks among the top areas that will experience a real economic benefit from passage of this bill. When we bring stability to eligible immigrants, we’re bringing stability to our local economies, too.
The Dream and Promise Act is a case of both doing the right thing and doing the right thing for our economy.
Dreamers are an integral part of our community—our neighbors, our coworkers, our friends. They are woven into the social and economic fabric of our entire region, and we have a responsibility to make sure they can continue to contribute and participate fully without fear.
When our Dreamers succeed, our communities will be stronger.
Video of Stanton’s floor remarks are available here.