WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Carlos A. Gimenez (FL-26) issued the following statement after voting in support of H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act.

“Today in the House, I voted in support of giving DREAMers the ability to come out of the shadows and be legal contributors to the country they have known their entire lives. These protections are long overdue.

“South Florida is home to countless people who were brought to the United States at a young age through no fault of their own. These individuals, who go to our schools, are friends with our children and grandchildren, and are our neighbors and colleagues, deserve an opportunity to achieve the American Dream.

“No legislation that comes out of a partisan, gridlocked process is perfect, and this legislation is far from being the ideal solution. Despite banning gang members from falling into this protected status, in its current form, this bill does not allow immigration officials to use local, state, and national databases to identify gang members. The bill also moves the entry deadline up by 4 years, allowing 18-year-olds to come to the United States just before the January deadline and qualify for protected status, disregarding the original intent of DACA recipients to be for young children.

“Since the House of Representatives did not give Republicans any legitimate opportunity for amendments to the bill or input of any kind, I urge the Senate to remedy these concerns moving forward and get a bill to President Biden’s desk that will give DREAMers the protections they need once and for all.

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