Rescinding the DACA program will hurt more than 17,500 Washingtonians who have been granted DACA in Washington state.[1] Like many immigrants before them, these brave young people strengthen our economy and are valued members of our communities. DACA has allowed these young people to pursue their dreams to become teachers, doctors, and entrepreneurs. In addition, the program has provided these people the ability to support themselves and their families, relieving the fear of being ripped from the country where they grew up.

Elimination of this critical program will cost Washington state an estimated $1.1 billion in annual gross domestic product (GDP).[2] Nationally, the cruel end of this program will cost $460.3 billion in GDP over the next 10 years. Moreover, a majority of Americans—78 percent—support giving Dreamers the chance to stay permanently in the United States.[3] It is clear that ending this program is an unconscionable mistake. We urge you to take immediate steps to reverse course, and lessen the consequences of your decision.

All DACA recipients received a promise from the federal government that as long as they followed the law, the information they provided to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services would not be used in immigration enforcement. Any change to this policy would have a chilling effect on individuals coming forward to pursue legal status for which they may be eligible. We strongly urge you to honor the promise the United States made to Dreamers who came out of the shadows and to not use information provided by DACA recipients to take enforcement actions.

Moreover, our state has long served as a leader in welcoming and protecting immigrants. Washington state has led the way to make certain that all residents have access to driver’s licenses, improved access to higher education for Dreamers as well as access to health care for children and refugees. Our economy and society are better for Washington state’s determination to create an inclusive society.

We urge you to reconsider your decision to repeal DACA and make sure that Dreamers’ application information is not provided to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In addition, we demand that you urge your Republican colleagues to work with us on bipartisan legislation that will provide protection to Dreamers and ensure their legal status does not lapse.

As you consider your next steps, we invite you to meet with Dreamers in our home state. We are certain that if you get to know these young people as we have, you will understand why your immediate action to protect these people is necessary.

Sincerely,

Patty Murray                                                               Pramila Jayapal

United States Senator                                                 Member of Congress

Maria Cantwell                                                           Adam Smith                           

United States Senator                                                 Member of Congress                         

Rick Larsen                                                                 Suzan DelBene

Member of Congress                                                  Member of Congress  

Denny Heck                                                                Derek Kilmer

Member of Congress                                                  Member of Congress

cc: Jeff Sessions, Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice

Elaine Duke, Acting Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

[1] U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Number of Form I-821D, Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, by Fiscal Year, Quarter, Intake, Biometrics and Case Status Fiscal Year 2012-2017 (Jun. 8, 2017) available at: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Resources/Reports%20and%20Studies/Immigration%20Forms%20Data/All%20Form%20Types/DACA/daca_performancedata_fy2017_qtr2.pdf.

[2] Nicole Prchal Svajlenka, Tom Jawetz & Angie Bautista-Chavez, A New Threat to DACA Could Cost States Billions of Dollars, Center for American Progress (2017) available at: https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/immigration/news/2017/07/21/436419/new-threat-daca-cost-states-billions-dollars.

[3] Morning Consult & Politico, Morning Consult National Tracking Poll #170409, April 20-24, 2017, Crosstabulation Results, available at: https://morningconsult.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/170409_crosstabs_Politico_v1_AG-2.pdf. 

“On Labor Day, we pay tribute to the American worker and their role in supporting a strong economy. In an ever-changing world, the contributions of the labor community make certain that the United States remains globally competitive. As the son of a union baggage handler at SeaTac Airport, I know firsthand how labor unions have helped generations of America’s working families thrive. 

“We must show America’s workers the same devotion they have shown to our society. Growing economic inequality is one of the defining challenges facing our economy and our country. The commitment of the labor movement to ensuring equality of opportunity is closely aligned with our efforts to enact legislation that will protect living wage jobs, lower health care costs, and ensure that future generations of Americans have the ability to build a better life for themselves and their families.”