The House of Representatives passed the HR Policy-backed American Dream and Promise Act, which provides a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants brought into the U.S. as children, by a vote of 228–197, with nine Republicans voting yes.
The Act would provide relief for the nearly 700,000 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program recipients and an additional estimated 1.4 million eligible individuals. It would create a conditional permanent resident status for eight years that would allow Dreamers to work in the U.S., travel internationally, and protect them from deportation.
A coalition including HR Policy applauded the vote in a statement released late Thursday.
The outlook is uncertain. The American Dream and Promise Act, in addition to the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which also passed the House, are seen as two of the less controversial pieces of broader immigration reform that could receive bipartisan support. Attention now turns to the Senate, where both bills need at least 10 Republican votes—a proposition that seems less likely given recent border security concerns. HR Policy and other business groups have been meeting with key senators and staff to encourage a legislative solution.
