Rep. Jared Polis (CO-02) released the following statement today regarding the Supreme Court’s split decision in U.S. v. Texas regarding the implementation of the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) program and the expansion of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA+) program:
“While the Supreme Court’s split decision in U.S. v. Texas is disappointing due to the fact that it will further delay the ability of millions of hard-working immigrants - who are parents of U.S. citizen children - from being able to work legally, it does not create a national precedent,” said Rep. Polis. “Therefore, I strongly encourage the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security to pursue the potential implementation of these critical programs in states that were not parties to the litigation. The Governor of Texas should not have the power to dictate immigration policy in Colorado.”
“The decision also highlights the urgent need for Congress to do its job and act by passing comprehensive immigration reform,” added Rep. Polis.
In the coming months, Rep. Polis will convene stakeholders to develop a plan to best support the affected communities.
Rep. Polis’s leadership on immigration:
Rep. Polis has been a leader on fixing our broken immigration system since joining Congress in 2008. In October 2013, he introduced the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, a comprehensive immigration reform bill that would have improved national security, streamlined our country’s guest worker system, and created a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented individuals. The Senate companion of this landmark bill passed the Senate in June 2013 and was widely heralded as one of the most significant attempts to fix our broken immigration system in decades.
In January 2014, Rep. Polis introduced the Investing in States To Achieve Tuition Equity (IN-STATE) Act, which provides incentives for states to offer in-state tuition and need-based aid for DREAMers. The bill creates the American Dream Grant program, offering $750 million in need-based student financial aid to states that set equitable in-state tuition rates and offer financial aid to undocumented students.
Before joining Congress, Rep. Polis founded the New America School in 2004, an innovative approach to providing education to new immigrants, English-language learners, and academically underserved students. Currently New America Schools operate in three locations throughout Colorado (Aurora, Lakewood, and Thornton) and two locations in New Mexico (Albuquerque and Las Cruces).
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