Washington, DC – Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet issued the following statement on the ruling by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to block the Administration’s efforts to provide relief to certain undocumented immigrants:
“This decision is another delay against efforts to advance commonsense reforms to our broken immigration system that will help our economy and keep families together. It means more limbo for DREAMers. It means kids will continue to worry that one day they’ll come home from school to find their parents gone – deported. It means our antiquated immigration laws will continue to hold back our economy. Congress could solve all of these problems and more by passing a bill to fix our immigration system. The Senate passed a bill more than two years ago with broad bipartisan support. It would secure our borders, boost the economy, and protect millions of families.
“Every day that Congress fails to act, our borders remain less secure, our visa system keeps us less competitive, our economy suffers, and millions of families remain in the shadows. Farmers, high-tech businesses, and the tourism industry are left without the workers they need, students educated here are denied a chance to contribute to our economy, and kids who grew up here live in fear of watching their parents get deported. It’s no wonder that people in Colorado are frustrated that Washington isn’t working.”
In Colorado, Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) would increase the state’s GDP by $3.3 billion over the next 10 years. Colorado has about 84,000 DACA and DAPA eligible individuals in the state.
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