Dreamer Advocacy Resources

Click HERE to advocate on behalf of Dreamers

Overview

• A Dreamer is an undocumented immigrant who came to the United States as a child. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is a deferred action policy implemented by the Obama administration in June 2012 that is aimed at protecting Dreamers. DACA does not provide the opportunity for Dreamers to stay permanently in the United States – it temporarily shields Dreamers from deportation and provides them work authorization with possible renewal every two years. There are as many as 3.6 million Dreamers residing in the U.S., but only about 533,000 Dreamers are currently protected under DACA. The average DACA recipient arrived in the United States at age seven and has lived here for more than 20 years. Please see our fact sheet on DACA for more information.
• A legislative solution for Dreamers continues to be urgent. Current DACA recipients can continue to work legally in the U.S., be protected from deportation, and renew their status every two years, at least as litigation over DACA continues. However, the Trump administration or federal courts could step in at any moment and try to end the program.
• On September 13, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas ruled against DACA, holding that the program was unlawful. Consistent with previous decisions, Judge Andrew Hanen continued to stay (pause) the injunction while the case makes its way through the court process. 
• On January 17, 2025, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals found DACA to be possibly unlawful as currently constructed, but issued a more narrow injunction on the program that is limited only to Texas. The court’s decision on DACA, which went into effect on March 11, for now allows continued deportation protections and work permits for DACA recipients nationwide, and potentially opens the door for initial applications. However, the Fifth Circuit remanded (sent back) the case to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to determine next steps. 
• While President Trump has suggested he would work with Congress on a legislative solution for Dreamers, he has not proposed any concrete legislation nor does the administration appear to have restarted processing DACA applications for new applicants. The administration has so far not acted to undermine DACA through the rulemaking process or other administrative actions; however, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) attempted to end DACA in President Trump’s first term in 2017.
• In the absence of a permanent solution, Congress has a responsibility to cement the contributions of Dreamers, as well as other immigrant populations, and provide some certainty for American employers and workers.
• In the Senate, Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) and Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) most recently introduced the Dream Act of 2023, a bipartisan effort to provide Dreamers with protection from deportation and an opportunity to obtain legal status in America. An earlier version of that bill would protect between 2-3 million Dreamers, according to the Migration Policy Institute. The bill has so far not been re-introduced in 2025. 
• Up to 2.7 million Dreamers and 400,000 Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients would potentially be eligible to apply for conditional legal status under the American Dream and Promise Act of 2025, which was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in February 2025, according to the Migration Policy Institute analysis of the 2021 version of the bill. The bill is effectively identical to the version introduced in 2023 and similar to the 2021 version.  

Background: Court Cases

• The Biden administration engaged in the formal rulemaking process to fortify DACA and attempt to address the procedural concerns raised by previous court decisions. The Biden administration published a final DACA rule that went into effect on October 31, 2022.
• Nine states, led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, continued to challenge DACA’s legality. 
• On September 13, 2023, U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Hanen held that the Biden administration’s 2022 final rule on DACA was not materially different from the 2012 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) memorandum establishing DACA and is therefore unlawful. Hanen continued to stay (pause) the injunction, allowing current DACA recipients to maintain their protection from deportation and work authorization.
• On January 17, 2025, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals found DACA to be possibly unlawful as currently constructed, but issued a more narrow injunction that went into effect on March 11. The court found that DACA’s protection from deportation – a form of prosecutorial discretion – is lawful and can continue nationwide. The court narrowed the lower court’s injunction only to work permits, in particular those in Texas. The court also opened the door to new initial DACA applications. The case was remanded (sent back) to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to determine next steps. 
• The injunction was narrowed to Texas because it was the only state that asserted injury, while New Jersey and 21 other states and Washington, D.C. urged the court to preserve the program. 
• For the moment, DACA recipients nationwide can continue to renew their status – including their protection from deportation and work permit – every two years.
• In light of the court decisions, hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients brought to the U.S. as children could eventually lose their work authorization and protection from deportation, underscoring the urgent need for a permanent legislative solution.

Advocate for Dreamers

Contacting your member of Congress and/or their staff is one of the most effective ways to share your views on the need to pass a permanent, legislative solution for Dreamers. Below is guidance on writing to or meeting with your Member of Congress and/or their staff about a legislative solution for Dreamers, as well as TPS holders.

• Ask Your Senators to Support a Solution for Dreamers As Soon As Possible: Court decisions shine a light on the fact that DACA has always been only a temporary solution and that Congress needs to act now. We cannot keep leaving Dreamers in limbo, undermining their future in the only country many of them have called home. Take action and tell your Senators to pass a permanent solution for Dreamers!
• Meet with Your Member of Congress: This document provides a guide for attending in-district or Washington, D.C. meetings with Senate and House offices. Click this link for a map of Capitol Hill.

Resources

• Dreamers and DACA Recipients:
  • This explainer provides an overview of Dreamer population estimates and data on how many Dreamers would be protected by legislation proposed over the years. 
• Fact Sheet on DACA:
  • This fact sheet provides an overview of DACA’s creation and requirements, as well as relevant information on the broader Dreamer population.
  • This fact sheet provides an overview on the current state of DACA, including legal challenges.
  • This explainer provides an overview of the September 2023 decision by U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Hanen finding that the 2021 DACA rule is materially similar to the 2012 DHS memorandum establishing DACA and therefore is unlawful.

• Talking Points:
  • Bibles, Badges and Business talking points on Dreamers, also included in the short guide for congressional meetings.

• Economic Benefits of Dreamers:
  • Over the next 10 years, Dreamers who currently have DACA will contribute an estimated $433 billion to the GDP, $60 billion in fiscal impact, and $12.3 billion in taxes to Social Security and Medicare if they can continue to work legally in the U.S.
  • Infographics: Dreamer and TPS Recipient Contributions focus on the contributions of Dreamers and TPS holders in a number of states.

•  Statements of Support for Dreamers:
  • National security experts, law enforcement leaders, veterans, and more than 3,450 pastors and evangelical leaders have called on Congress to protect Dreamers.

Key Legislation Pending in Congress

The following bill pending in Congress would provide a permanent, legislative solution for Dreamers:

• The Dream Act of 2023 (S. 365), introduced on February 9, 2023 in the Senate. The bill has so far not been re-introduced in 2025. 
• The American Dream and Promise Act of 2025, introduced on February 26, 2025 in the House.

It is likely that additional bills, including versions of the bills introduced last Congress, will be introduced in the 119^th Congress. The Dream and Promise Act of 2019 (H.R. 6) passed the House of Representatives on June 4, 2019 by a 237 to 187 vote, including seven Republicans voting yes, but did not receive a vote in the Senate. The American Dream and Promise Act of 2021 (H.R. 6) was introduced on March 3, 2021 and passed the House 228-197 on March 18, 2021, including nine Republicans voting yes. 

In the previous Congresses, lawmakers introduced a number of bills to protect Dreamers. These bills include the following:

• The Dignity Act (H.R. 3599): Introduced in 2023 by Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Florida) and Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), the Dignity Act is a bipartisan package would allows about 1.9 million Dreamers who came to the U.S. before age 18 to earn Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status if they meet certain requirements.
• SUCCEED Act (S. 1852): Introduced in 2017 by Sens. Tom Tillis (R-North Carolina) and James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), the SUCCEED Act would allow about 1.3 million Dreamers who came to the U.S. before age 16 to earn LPR status through a 15-year process.
• Recognizing America’s Children (RAC) Act (H.R. 1468): Introduced in 2017 by Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-Florida), the RAC Act would allow about about 1.4 million Dreamers who came to the U.S. before age 16 to earn LPR status if they meet certain requirements. 
• BRIDGE Act (S. 128): Introduced in 2016 by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) and Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), the bipartisan BRIDGE Act would provide a one-time temporary work authorization and protection from deportation to DACA-eligible Dreamers. This “provisional protected presence” would last up to three years. About 1.2 million Dreamers would likely qualify for the one-time provisional protected presence.

Key provisions of additional previous bills introduced in the 115^th Congress are summarized in tables for the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, respectively.