Texas Border Business
BROWNSVILLE, TX – City of Brownsville Mayor Trey Mendez has joined Republican, Democrat, and Independent mayors from across the nation to call on Congress to take immediate action that provides permanent protection from deportation and a path to citizenship for all Dreamers who have lived in America since they were children and are building their lives here in the only country many of them have ever known.
Trey Mendez
Following the recent Texas U.S. District Court decision that struck down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, mayors have pledged to work with Congress to implement a permanent solution for DACA recipients and their families.
In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, mayors wrote, in part: “…it is even more urgent than ever that Congress act quickly to provide permanent protection from deportation and a path to citizenship for all Dreamers – people who have lived in America since they were children and built their lives here. As Democrats, Republicans, and Independents, we write on behalf of all the nation’s mayors to urge you to take whatever action is necessary and possible immediately to accomplish this. We pledge to work with you in this effort to help you make this happen. The United States Conference of Mayors has had strong policy supporting a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and extension of the DACA program for many years. Our bipartisan organization has adopted this policy because it is the right thing to do – for Dreamers, for our communities, and for our country.”
Following the release of the letter, Mayor Mendez issued the following statement:
“The City of Brownsville has prioritized the need for Congress to hear about the urgency needed to protect the rights of Dreamers. They are an important and distinct part of our community, and they are a part of Brownsville, just like the rest of us. The recent U.S. District Court ruling undermines integrity of DACA protections and has thousands of young people living in fear of deportation and uncertainty of their livelihood. The time is now to advance policies that support a path to permanent citizenship for all Dreamers so that they can study, work, and build families in our cities without fear.”
179 mayors signed the letter, which can be found here.
