Dear Member of Congress:
We condemn President Trump's destructive racism and call on Congress to stand with immigrant communities and with the integrity of our nation. Not only is Donald Trump’s racism dangerously harmful but it also puts lives at risk because he’s putting his racism into policy that fractures families and hatefully targets entire communities.
Donald Trump is hurting America. The words at the base of our Statue of Liberty welcomes the “tempest-tossed” to our shores, and the idea of the American Dream is a beacon of hope for many of us. The Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program embodies that spirit, providing temporary legal status for immigrants from countries that have been devastated by war, natural disaster, famine, or epidemic. Currently over 300,000 immigrants -- many from countries that Trump disparaged with profanity -- hold TPS status.
TPS holders contribute in every sector of our economy. In fact, TPS holders are key contributors to many industries. If our economy loses all of our TPS employees, it would cost the U.S. economy $164 billion over 10 years.
Further, nearly 800,000 DREAMers received critical protections and work authorization under the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Last year, President Trump ripped away DACA, putting at risk hundreds of thousands of young people. The DREAM Act is a strong bipartisan legislative solution that would allow young immigrants to continue living their American Dream with a path to citizenship.
We can never forget that the diversity of our nation is what makes us strong, innovative and prosperous, not the opposite. Donald Trump’s hateful attacks do not represent the values we teach our children -- or what we aspire to be as a nation. Congress must make that clear to President Trump immediately by forcefully moving ahead with protections for DREAMers and TPS holders, as well as passing fair and comprehensive immigration policy.
As moms, dads and advocates for our families, we urge you to act now to make sure that 192,000 U.S. citizen children don't lose their parents and family members. We call on you to hold true to our pledge that when we say “Liberty and justice for all,” we really do mean all.
Sincerely