On February 26 Congresswomen Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-07) and Sylvia Garcia (D-TX-29) reintroduced the bipartisan American Dream and Promise Act of 2025, alongside several co-authors of the bill. The bipartisan American Dream and Promise Act would provide a pathway to citizenship to Dreamers, undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children. It would also include recipients of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) beneficiaries.
The legislation has been cosponsored by 201 Members of Congress, including all the bill leads, and has been endorsed by nearly 120 organizations, a press release from Rep. Jayapal’s office said.
According to the bill sponsors, it is estimated that the average DACA recipient came to this country at the age of six and has been here for 20 years. Likewise, TPS holders have been living and working in the United States for decades. They have built their families here and contribute significantly to their communities and the economy, the press release said.
DACA recipients pay approximately $6.2 billion in federal taxes and $3.3 billion in state and local taxes annually, the lawmakers estimate. The Liberal think tank, Center for American Progress, estimates that the national GDP could grow by $799 billion over the next decade if Dreamers were provided a pathway to citizenship.
“As an immigrant who came to this country at 16 years old and founded the largest immigrant rights organization in Washington State before coming to Congress, I’m proud to stand with Dreamers as they pursue a roadmap to citizenship,” Rep. Jayapal said. “For far too long, Dreamers have had to live in the shadows as they do essential work in communities across the country,” she added. She said the “cruel” immigration policies of President Trump had “terrified” Dreamers that their status could be struck down.
“But Dreamers are Americans and Dreamers are home. It’s past time that we give them citizenship and pass legislation to protect them from cruel mass deportation campaigns and anti-immigrant stunts,” Jayapal said.
The bipartisan American Dream and Promise Act of 2025, if passed, would:
- Protect and grant eligible Dreamers conditional permanent residence for ten years and cancel removal proceedings
- Provide a pathway to citizenship for eligible Dreamers by granting full Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status
- Provide individuals with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or Deferred Enforcement Departure (DED) with LPR status
- Protect Dreamers and individuals with TPS or DED during their application for relief under the American Dream and Promise Act
- Provide eligible Dreamers with access to federal financial aid
- Allow eligible Dreamers located abroad to apply for relief
- Prevent penalizing states that grant in-state tuition to undocumented students based on residency
Before his inauguration, President Donald Trump indicated he wanted to work with Democrats to protect Dreamers and that Republicans were open to getting something done on this issue, the press release said.
According to the sponsoring lawmakers, the bill is strongly supported by the public and polls show the majority of Americans support Republicans and Democrats working together on legislation that would enable Dreamers to earn legal status and eventual citizenship.
