Rep. Salazar Signs Discharge Petition to Advance the American Dream and Promise Act for Dreamers and TPS Recipients

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Rep. María Elvira Salazar (FL-27), a co-lead of the American Dream and Promise Act, signed a discharge petition to bring the bipartisan legislation to the House floor for a vote. The American Dream and Promise Act would create earned pathways to lawful permanent residence for eligible Dreamers and recipients of Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

For years, Dreamers and TPS recipients have lived without a permanent solution from Congress, leaving their futures subject to changing administrations and court rulings. The discharge petition gives the House an opportunity to finally consider legislation that would provide lasting certainty through federal law.

"Dreamers didn't choose how they got here, but they chose what to do once they arrived. They studied, they worked, they served, they built. America is the only home they've ever known. Yet for years, they’ve had to live with a suitcase by the door, waiting for the next court ruling or the next president to decide their future," said Rep. Salazar. "I signed the discharge petition because Congress needs to act. As a co-lead of the American Dream and Promise Act, I am proud to support legislation that gives these young men and women the dignity they have earned: certainty to build their future in the only country they've ever called home.”


Rep. Salazar also emphasized that the American Dream and Promise Act would provide eligible TPS recipients with a long-overdue opportunity to earn permanent legal status after years of living under temporary humanitarian protections.

"Many TPS recipients came to the United States after fleeing failed regimes, violence, or humanitarian disasters in search of freedom and safety. For years, they have carried the responsibility of building a life here without the security of knowing they could keep it. They have worked, raised families, and strengthened our communities. Congress has delayed this conversation for far too long. It's time to let the House vote," Rep. Salazar continued.

The American Dream and Promise Act combines the bipartisan Dream Act and the American Promise Act into a single legislative package. The legislation would:

For eligible Dreamers:

• Establish an earned pathway to lawful permanent residence.
• Protect eligible applicants from removal while their applications are pending.
• Require applicants to have arrived by age 18, meet education and background-check requirements, and complete a higher education, military service, or employment pathway to remove the conditional basis of their permanent residence. 

For eligible TPS recipients:

• Establish a pathway to lawful permanent residence.
• Protect eligible applicants from removal while their applications are pending.
• Replace temporary humanitarian protections with permanent legal status established through an act of Congress.

A discharge petition is a procedural mechanism that allows a majority of House Members to bring legislation to the House floor for consideration. Once 218 Members sign the petition, the House must vote on the American Dream and Promise Act.

Rep. Salazar joined Rep. Sylvia Garcia (TX-29) and a bipartisan group of lawmakers at today's Capitol Hill press conference to encourage additional House Members to sign the discharge petition and support a vote on the American Dream and Promise Act.
To watch her full remarks, click here.