Today, Mayor Levar M. Stoney is calling on Virginia’s Congressional Delegation to protect Dreamers by supporting passage of the Dream Act now. Dreamers are a generation of nearly 800,000 young adults who came to the United States as children. They have grown up as Americans, pledging allegiance to our flag, and have worked side by side with all Americans to build a more vital nation. Dreamers are homeowners, teachers, nurses, scientists, valedictorians and members of our armed forces; they are our neighbors.
“In the City of Richmond, we make a compact with all of our children that if they work hard we will be their champion and support them in achieving the American Dream, regardless of their gender, ethnicity or country of origin,” said Levar M. Stoney. “12,000 Virginians are Dreamers. Today I’m asking Virginia’s Congressional Delegation to help us keep our promise to our young people and pass the Dream Act once and for all.”
If Congress does not pass the Dream Act and shield the hundreds of thousands of young people who came forward under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, the effect on the U.S. economy will be devastating. Every day that Congress delays passage of the Dream Act, 122 young people lose their DACA status. In the Commonwealth of Virginia by not protecting Dreamers from deportation and allowing them to continue to contribute to the economy, it will result in nearly $711.4 million in annual GDP losses.
As a Welcoming America member, the City of Richmond is part of a growing movement of communities becoming more prosperous by helping all residents be able to fully participate in economic, social, and civic opportunities, including immigrants in refugees. One in every eight Americans lives in a community in the Welcoming America network.
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