New York State Assemblywoman Kimberly Jean-Pierre announced today that she had joined more than 1,860 fellow leaders in signing onto a new “We Are with Dreamers” statement calling on President Trump to preserve the successful Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and for Congress to pass a standalone version of the bipartisan Dream Act.

The popular DACA program has been both morally and economically beneficial to New York State, allowing more than 40,000 young people to come forward, pass background checks, and live and work legally in the country. Ending DACA would cost New York nearly $2.6 billion in annual GDP losses.¹

“As the daughter of immigrants, I am proud to stand with Dreamers. We must protect DACA, and I implore Congress to pass the bipartisan Dream Act, which will not only provide important protections and opportunities for 40,000 Dreamers in New York, but will also strengthen our economy and society across New York and the United States.”

In addition to Assemblywoman Jean-Pierre, governors, state attorneys general, mayors, state legislators, city and county elected officials, and leaders from faith communities, law enforcement, and civic life across America announced their support for the We Are with Dreamers effort. To read a copy of the statement text and a full list of signatories, visit www.WithDreamers.com.

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¹ Nicole Prchal Svajlenka, Tom Jawetz, and Angie Bautista-Chavez, “A New Threat to DACA Could Cost States Billions of Dollars” (Washington: 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/