WASHINGTON, DC – FWD.us President Todd Schulte issued the following statement today on the introduction of new bipartisan legislation that creates an earned pathway to citizenship for Dreamers:

“We are incredibly encouraged that a bipartisan group of 40 lawmakers came together over the weekend to produce a tailored bill to protect Dreamers and increase border security. We want to thank Representatives Will Hurd (R-TX), Jeff Denham (R-CA), Pete Aguilar (D-CA) and Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM) and others for their leadership to strengthen border security and to protect Dreamers from deportation. Their bill will provide certainty and clarity to hundreds of thousands of Dreamers and their loved ones who worry every day whether they’ll be able to continue living, working, and serving their communities in the only country they know as home. This bill strengthens border security – after a decade of substantial investments that have already dramatically reduced apprehensions to the lowest levels in modern history – and it will build on that progress.

“We believe this legislation would pass with well over 218 votes in the House and over 60 votes in the Senate if brought to the floor right now. We are at a critical point for Dreamers, and for the future of our country: while 122 Dreamers are falling out of status every single day, that number will escalate exponentially if Congress fails to pass legislation and gives DHS sufficient time to implement any new program. America is Dreamers’ home. The time to pass legislation to protect Dreamers is now.”