The fate of more than a million non-citizens in the United States hangs in the balance after the Trump administration announced the abrupt cancelation of DACA and TPS. I have written in different venues about why it is vital to provide a pathway to residency for holders of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).
In September 2018, I wrote an article, titled “The American Dream and Its Nightmares,” in which I approached the question of immigration from a deeply personal point of view.
My colleagues, Lisa Hoffman and Manuel De Paz, wrote an Op-Ed for the Daily Californian in which they emphasized the urgency of protecting TPS.
More recently, I wrote another article, titled “I Visited Congress, and This Is What I’ve Learned” in which I reflected on my trip to Washington D.C. as part of a NorCal TPS delegation. During this trip, we urged lawmakers to support a pathway to residency for TPS and DACA recipients.
And here is an Op-Ed in the Daily Californian, “Berkeley citizens must support new TPS legislation,” that delivers the same message: the urgent need to prevent the tragic separation of families here in the U.S.
There are now three bills in Congress: The Dream and Promise Act of 2019 (H.R. 6) is the most comprehensive bill and would provide a path to permanent residency to qualified Dreamers, TPS holders and Deferred Enforced Departure individuals. The SECURE Act (S. 2144) offers TPS holders a path to permanent residency and the Dream Act of 2019 (S. 874) would protect Dreamers.
Realistically, to win this battle, we need to pressure Republican lawmakers in each and every state. Below, you will find a list of Republican lawmakers who represent California. Please call their offices and urge them to vote “Yes” on any of the three bills in Congress designed to find a legislative solution to this humanitarian crisis. Before you call them, you can click on their name to learn more about their past record and present stance on immigration. I am grateful to Celene Afari for compiling this list.
- Kevin McCarthy – Bakersfield (202-225-2915)
- Doug LaMalfa – Richvale (202-225-3076)
- Tom McClintock – Roseville (202-225-2511)
- Paul Cook – Apple Valley (202-225-5861)
- Immigration not listed in his platform
- Devin Nunes – Visalia (202-225-2523)
- Sponsored H.Res.1438 — In acknowledgment to Portuguese-American Immigrants that came to the U.S. as a result of the Azorean Refugee Act of 1958
- Co-sponsored H.R. 565 – 116th Congress aka AMIGOS Act
- Co-Sponsored: H.R. 2414/AgJOBS Act of 2009, H.R, 1751/American Dream Act, and H.R. 1275
- Also Co-sponsored anti-immigration legislation in spite of the fact that 49% of his district’s population is of Hispanic origin
- Duncan D Hunter – El Cajon (202-225-5672)
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