Both Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) are pushing Congress to act on a legislation that will grant legal status to DACA recipients before the end of September.
Graham and Durbin, who are both part of the Senate Judiciary Committee, stated that it is vital for lawmakers to pass the DREAM Act, which offers legal status to immigrants under DACA.
The DREAM Act was first introduced back in 2001 by Durbin and Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah). In 2013, both Durbin and Graham formed part of the Gang of Eight, which was the group of Senators that wrote an immigration reform that ultimately died in the House.
Although both Senators are working together to create a legislation to help DACA recipients to receive legal status, they had different views about Trump’s decision to end DACA.
Graham said Trump’s decision to end DACA with a six-month delay gives lawmakers a deadline to take action
“The reason I think it will get done now is that the leadership of the Republican Party, including the president, realizes it’s good for the country economically and otherwise to give these kids the certainty they need in their lives,” he said at a news conference alongside Durbin.
Durbin, on the other hand, said that the announcement is the beginning of “a countdown toward deportation for 780,000” people protected under the program.
“Well today that was handed down, first by Attorney General Sessions and then by the president, tells us that the clock is ticking,” he said. “We are now in a countdown toward deportation for 780,000 protected by DACA today.
“We need to pass in this month of September a DREAM Act — a permanent law in this country that says that these young people will have their chance to become part of America’s future.”
Graham said that the government’s main concerns right now is taking care of Hurricane Harvey victims and Dreamers.
“We’re going to do two things: We’re going to take care of the hurricane victims in Texas, and we’re going to take care of those kids,” Graham said Tuesday.
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