Governors, Mayors, State AGs, State Legislators, City and County Officials, and Leaders from Faith, Law Enforcement, and Civic Life Call on President Trump to Protect DACA and Congress to Pass the Dream Act

WASHINGTON, DC - 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, more than 1,860 leaders from across America today announced that they had signed onto a new 'We Are With Dreamers' statement.

Signers onto the new We Are With Dreamers statement include governors, mayors, state attorneys general, state legislators, city and county elected officials, and leaders from faith communities, law enforcement, and civic life across America. (To read the letter and the full breakdown of signatories, visit WithDreamers.com.}

On a press call held earlier today to release the 'We Are With Dreamers' statement, Governor Jay Inslee (D-WA) said: 'This country is home to hundreds of thousands of Dreamers. For many of them it's the only home they have any memory of. Five years ago we made a promise to them that they could continue to stay here and work towards achieving their American dreams. Now there are national leaders cruelly threatening to break that promise, a move that would fly in the face of everything we stand for as a nation that welcomes those seeking opportunity for a better life. As governor I will do everything I can to keep our Dreamers safe here, at home. And I am proud to join more than 1,860 other leaders around the country in asking Congress and our president to do the same.' In addition to Gov. Inslee, other governors on the 'We Are With Dreamers' statement are: Governors Jerry Brown of California, Kate Brown of Oregon, Mark Dayton of Minnesota, John Hickenlooper of Colorado, Dannel P. Malloy of Connecticut, Terence R. McAuliffe of Virginia, and Gina M. Raimondo of Rhode Island.

On the press call, Archbishop Thomas Wenski of the Archdiocese of Miami, FL noted 'The president should summon the moral courage to do the right thing and stand by these talented young people. They talk like Americans, eat like Americans, and think like Americans. They should be able to dream like Americans.'

For a recording of the press call as well as the full list and overview of signatories on the new 'We Are With Dreamers' statement, visit WithDreamers.com.

Below, please find a copy of the 'We Are With Dreamers' statement text:

'We Are With Dreamers' statement

'We, the undersigned governors, statewide constitutional officers, mayors, state legislators, local elected officials, businesses, law enforcement professionals, and faith and civic leaders are united in declaring that we are with Dreamers and DACA recipients. We recognize their enormous role in our communities and families and their contributions to our schools, workplaces, and shared prosperity as a nation.

'Since June 2012, nearly 800,000 of these young people who came to the United States as children have come forward, passed background checks, and received permission to live and work in America. With DACA, they have advanced their education, started small businesses, and more fully established themselves as integral members of our society.

'Ending DACA means all of these young people would be at risk of deportation and separation from their families and our communities; this would be senselessly cruel.

'Ending DACA and removing hundreds of thousands of young men and women from our workforce also would cost the country an estimated $460.3 billion in lost Gross Domestic Product over a decade and tens of billions more in lost contributions to Medicare and Social Security, and force businesses to incur $3.4 billion in turnover costs.

'In late June, attorneys general from ten states threatened to sue the Trump Administration if it does not end DACA; twice that number wrote to encourage the administration to maintain and defend the initiative. We urge President Trump to sustain his commitment and preserve DACA. We also encourage President Trump and Republicans and Democrats in Congress to enact legislation that replaces fear and uncertainty with permanent protection for Dreamers. The recently introduced stand-alone Dream Act of 2017 would do that and we support it.

'As the leaders of communities across the country - individuals and institutions that have seen these young people grow up in our communities - we recognize how they have enriched and strengthened our cities, states, schools, businesses, congregations, and families. We believe it is a moral imperative that the administration and the country know we are with them. We also join together to send our assurances to Dreamers: we see you, we value you, and we are ready to defend you.'

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