January 27, 2017

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) along with 44 organizations representing higher education communities issued a joint letter of support for the passage of the Bar Removal of Individuals who Dream and Grow our Economy Act (BRIDGE) Act (S. 128 and HR 496).

The bipartisan legislation was reintroduced in the Senate on January 12, 2017, by Sens. Lindsey Graham and Richard Durbin to protect undocumented young people brought to the United States as children should the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program be discontinued under the new Administration.

The companion bill was introduced in the House of Representatives by Reps. Mike Coffman and Luis V. Gutiérrez.

“DREAMers are a key segment of our nation’s talent pool, doing all we could ask of them: they have succeeded in American PK-12 schools, overcome obstacles to pursue further education, remained law-abiding, and sought to make their contribution to our nation. It only makes sense to continue to allow them to make that contribution without fear of deportation,” said the group in the letter addressed to Senators Durbin and Graham and Representatives Coffman and Gutiérrez.

If passed, the BRIDGE Act would provide temporary relief from deportation to the more than 752,000 individuals known as DREAMers and ensures employment authorization to those who are eligible for the Department of Homeland Security’s DACA program. The letter also called for passage of the DREAM Act and for fair, just and comprehensive immigration reform.

To view the full text of the letter and the signatories, click here.