The American Immigration Council does not endorse or oppose candidates for elected office. We aim to provide analysis regarding the implications of the election on the U.S. immigration system.
Bipartisan legislation was introduced today in the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate called The Bar Removal of Individuals who Dream and Grow our Economy (BRIDGE) Act, which would provide work authorization and relief from deportation for three years to individuals who are eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative created in 2012 by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Currently, over 741,000 individuals have received DACA, allowing them to make significant contributions to the economy and their communities. Many Republicans have long taken issue with DACA because it was done through executive actions and not legislation. President-elect Donald Trump promised on the campaign trail that he would repeal President Obama’s executive actions, including DACA. Therefore, an effort to replace DACA with something from Congress is underway.
The bill was introduced by Representatives Mike Coffman (R-CO) and Luis V. Gutiérrez (D-IL) and Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Dick Durbin (D-IL)
