Contact:
Louisa Tavlas
Director of Communications
The Niskanen Center
Cell phone: 571-527-6403
ltavlas@niskanencenter.org

Recognizing America’s Children Act Offers Legal Status to Deserving Young Immigrants

WASHINGTON, D.C.—March 10, 2017. Last night, Republican Representatives Carlos Curbelo (FL­-26) and Mario Diaz-Balart (FL­-25) introduced the Recognizing America’s Children Act (RACA), which provides an opportunity for undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children to obtain lawful permanent resident status.

This bill, which first provides for a period of conditional status, is available to undocumented immigrants who entered illegally before Jan. 1, 2012 and were 16 years old or younger, and who serve in the military, graduate college, or legally work in the United States. Provided successful applicants maintain status, good moral standing, satisfy any outstanding tax debt, and refrain from using public benefits, they are ultimately eligible for legal permanent status in the United States.

The Niskanen Center continues to urge members to support legislation that provides a permanent pathway for this group of individuals—often called DREAMers—and applauds Representatives Curbelo and Diaz-Balart for proactively drafting a solution to a long-standing, urgent issue.

“Without a permanent, legislative solution for this group of young immigrants, we continue to jeopardize the lives of hundreds of thousands of promising and auspicious individuals, who are subject to immediate deportation under President Trump’s current executive orders,” said Kristie De Peña, Niskanen’s immigration policy counsel.

“RACA provides a pragmatic, secure legalization pathway that capitalizes on the most hard-working, enterprising immigrants who will continue to positively contribute to our economy and our society.” De Peña continued.

The Niskanen Center looks forward to working with members of Congress to continue promoting sensible, legal reforms to improve the American immigration system.

The Niskanen Center is a libertarian 501(c)(3) advocacy organization established in 2014 that works to change public policy through direct engagement in the policymaking process.

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