Dear Member of Congress:
As law enforcement leaders who support commonsense immigration policies that protect our communities, we write to express our strong support for a bipartisan legislative solution to allow Dreamers – young people who came to the United States as children – to remain in the United States. We believe it is essential for Congress to work across party lines to finally pass a solution to protect these young people.
Dreamers make significant contributions to our communities and our nation. We see it firsthand as law enforcement leaders. In some jurisdictions, Dreamers with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) can work in law enforcement, filling key roles and helping jurisdictions meet staffing needs. Dreamers also contribute $45 billion to the economy each year through their wages and an additional $13 billion in federal, payroll, state, and local taxes. They work in many key industries and have started their own businesses.
Through our law enforcement experience, we support measures that allow law-abiding people to feel safe and secure in their communities. This reinforces trust and cooperation with state and local law enforcement. Beyond the contributions Dreamers make to our communities, we are concerned that, absent action by Congress, Dreamers will be driven back into the shadows and be hesitant to report crimes or cooperate with investigations. Such an outcome would undermine community safety for all. When Dreamers, and all immigrants, feel safe engaging with local police, it makes our communities safer.
There are nearly 2 million Dreamers in the U.S., about a quarter of which have DACA. Amid increasing immigration enforcement, frequent court challenges to DACA’s legality, and increasing processing delays for DACA renewals, a legislative solution for Dreamers remains urgent.
There is significant bipartisan support for a legislation solution. We have also been encouraged by President Trump’s comments earlier this year in support of a legislative solution to protect Dreamers. It is our hope that Congress moves expeditiously to enact legislation to protect these individuals.
We urge Congress to work on a bipartisan basis to find a solution to protect Dreamers and keep them in the U.S. Such a solution to help Dreamers will allow law enforcement agencies to hire new recruits, build community trust, and protect public safety.
Sincerely,
20 Members of the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force