{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://pearce.house.gov/press-release/pearce-introduces-legislation-provide-certainty-daca-recipients", "PEARCE INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO PROVIDE CERTAINTY TO DACA RECIPIENTS", "2017-12-01", "2017", "2017-12", "Republican", "House", "NM", "Steve Pearce", "P000588", "pearce.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. (December 1, 2017)\u00a0Congressman Steve Pearce introduced H.R. 4488, the\u00a0Preserving Opportunity for Childhood Arrivals Act,\u00a0which will provide certainty to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients.\n\u201cWorking diligently through school to get into college, working nights and weekends to pay your way through college to earn a degree, and getting a good-paying job to help provide for yourself and your family \u2013 that\u2019s the American dream. It reminds me of a brilliant young man in New Mexico who was brought to the United States and raised here since the age of two \u2013 this country is his home. He worked nights and weekends to pay his way through law school. He has dedicated his career to helping others navigate their way through the immigration system. While he qualified for the DACA program, he didn\u2019t sign up fearing its temporary nature and privacy concerns. Even though it does not benefit him, he supports this bill, and understands the profoundly positive impact it will have on the lives of DACA recipients,\u201d stated Rep. Pearce.\nOn September 5, 2017, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, more commonly known as DACA, would\u00a0end on March 5, 2018. Instantly, nearly 800,000 young immigrants brought to the United States who were benefitting from this administrative action had their worlds flipped upside down.\n\u201cAfter learning the DACA program would come to an end in just six months, I immediately went to work to develop a solution. One that will provide young immigrants around the nation with even greater certainty so they can continue to work, go to school, and provide for their families with no strings attached. The bill I introduced does just that.\nWe in New Mexico know firsthand the harmful impacts of our nation\u2019s outdated and broken immigration system. DACA recipients have only known the U.S. as their home. That is why, my bill ensures those who were brought to the country by no fault of their own can live and thrive in the U.S. without the fear of deportation. While there\u2019s more to be done, I\u2019m confident my bill provides long-term certainty these young, hardworking immigrants need to achieve the American dream.\nDACA recipients \u2013 also known as our friends, neighbors, and coworkers \u2013 deserve meaningful change, rather than patchwork solutions that previous Administrations put into place without truly understanding the long-term effects. While not a large fix, it is one that will profoundly change the lives of hundreds of thousands of young immigrants. I am proud to offer this commonsense, middle ground solution for this time sensitive issue that affects thousands of young immigrants,\u201d Rep. Pearce continued.\u00a0\nBackground  \n\tIn September, Rep. Pearce\u00a0sent a letter\u00a0to House Speaker Paul Ryan urging Congress to work in a bipartisan manner to establish a permanent solution for people protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program.\u00a0\nCongressman Pearce\u2019s office has been working with individuals and groups in New Mexico and around the nation to create a solution that will assist all DACA recipients impacted. This bill is a solution that is rooted in justice and fairness. At the same time, this legislation honors the millions of immigrants who applied, waited, and arrived in the United States legally by ensuring no beneficiary of this program can jump the line for a Green Card or citizenship.\nH.R. 4488 creates a \u201cconditional protected status,\u201d or CPS, for current DACA recipients so they can live and work in the U.S. without the constant fear that they might be deported. CPS will be active for 10 years and can be continually renewed at the end of each 10-year segment. It does not require any work, education, or military requirement to qualify. Additionally, recipients will be able to apply for green cards through the regular process as any other immigrant looking to come to the United States.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://pearce.house.gov/press-release/pearce-introduces-legislation-provide-certainty-daca-recipients"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.818468164652586, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}