The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, on November 15, 2017, renewed its call on Congress to act before the end of 2017 to pass legislation creating a path to permanent residency, such as the Dream Act of 2017 (S. 1615, H.R. 3440), for the nearly 800,000 immigrants with DACA status. Congressional inaction will result in over 8500 DACA holders each week losing their legal status and legal ability to work, starting on March 6, 2018. By November 2018, about 300,000 DACA holders will have been forced out of the workforce, joined by over 400,000 more through 2019. The costs to the U.S. economy in turnover expenses, lost tax revenues, and negative impact on the GDP are estimated to be in the hundreds of billions of dollars; not to mention the costs to our communities in which DACA holders are our neighbors, relatives, students, volunteers, workers and entrepreneurs.
Yesterday’s statement coincided with a day of action on Capitol Hill attended by over 100 DACA holders and additional business leaders. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has been a consistent supporter of a path to residency for these immigrants.