Statement from Immigrants Rising on the Dream & Promise Act Discharge Petition
For Immediate Release
Media Contact: [email protected]
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (July 20, 2026) — Immigrants Rising is urging Members of Congress to sign Representative Sylvia Garcia’s (TX-29) discharge petition to bring the American Dream and Promise Act to the House floor for a vote. The American Dream and Promise Act (HR-1589) would provide a pathway to U.S. citizenship for eligible Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) recipients.
For decades, Congress has relied on temporary immigration protections while failing to deliver permanent solutions. Dreamers, TPS holders, and DED recipients have built careers, raised families, paid taxes, started businesses, and strengthened communities across the country. Yet they continue to live with the uncertainty that the legal protections they depend on can be taken away at any moment.
This instability comes at a cost—not only to immigrants, but to our economy.
California is home to approximately 2.9 million undocumented immigrants, including approximately 80,000 TPS holders and 140,000 DACA recipients. Nearly one in ten workers in the state is undocumented, and undocumented immigrants contribute $8.5 billion annually in state and local taxes. More than 220,000 undocumented entrepreneurs own businesses in California, helping power local economies, create jobs, and strengthen communities. Yet millions remain excluded from fully participating in the education, workforce, and economic systems they have spent years helping build.
Temporary protections were never intended to be permanent. They cannot provide the long-term certainty that working people, employers, and communities need to thrive.
“As someone who once relied on temporary immigration protections, I know what it feels like to build your future on borrowed time. You’re expected to pursue an education, build a career, pay taxes, contribute to your community, and plan for your future while knowing the legal foundation beneath your life could disappear overnight. No one should have to live that way,” said Dr. Iliana Perez, Executive Director of Immigrants Rising.
“Citizenship is not simply an immigration solution—it is an economic solution. California has invested in educating students, training workers, and supporting entrepreneurs of immigrant backgrounds. When people are prevented from fully participating in our economy because Congress refuses to act, we all lose. This discharge petition gives Congress an opportunity to move beyond political gridlock and allow a vote on legislation that would provide the stability millions of working people and their families deserve.”
Immigrants Rising’s recently released California Blueprint for Immigrant Socioeconomic Prosperity demonstrates that California’s long-term economic success depends on ensuring undocumented Californians can fully participate in higher education, career pathways, entrepreneurship, and economic opportunity. The Blueprint concludes that when talented individuals are unable to access education, careers, or business opportunities because of structural barriers, California loses the return on its own investments in education, workforce development, and small business growth.
Immigrants Rising calls on every Member of Congress to sign the discharge petition and vote to advance the American Dream and Promise Act, which has broad public support and would provide long-overdue certainty for Dreamers, TPS holders, and DED recipients. Working people deserve more than temporary protections and political delay. They deserve the stability, dignity, and opportunity that only a pathway to citizenship can provide.
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Founded in 2006, Immigrants Rising transforms individuals and fuels broader changes. With resources and support, undocumented young people are able to get an education, pursue careers, and build a brighter future for themselves and their community. Our collective power is helping our nation edge closer to fulfilling its ideal as a land of opportunity and access for all.
