“Unstoppable! Undeniable! Undocumented! Unafraid!”
By hola | Published | No Comments
A social chronicle of last Thursday’s historic immigration votes
in the U.S. House of Representatives
Above: a selection of tweets after the March 18 immigration bills passed the House
Dreamers flooded some corners of social media expressing their joy in spontaneous celebrations last Thursday as the U.S. House of Representatives voted on two long awaited immigration bills that could become law this year: The Dream & Promise Act and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act.
While congresspeople were voting inside the U.S. Capitol, people stood hand-in-hand on the National Mall in Washington D.C., some dressed as what has become a symbol of the Dreamer Movement–the monarch butterfly. In brilliant orange and black wings, they danced and chanted in unison:
“Unstoppable! Undeniable! Undocumented! Unafraid!
As the day progressed, undocumented youth and their allies’ social media streamed elated messages while activists on the National Mall line-danced to the sound of “We are the Champions,” the Queen anthem that seemed appropriate for the legislative victory so many had anxiously anticipated. Swinging to the music, they embodied undeniable joy at witnessing this historic moment.
The original version of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act,
was first introduced in the U.S. Senate by Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) and Orrin Hatch (D-Utah) in 2001. In the two decades since then, different versions of the bill have garnered co-sponsors from both the House and Senate, but none have become law. The 2019 version of the bill got the closest to full passage—until now. It managed to pass the House with a 237-187 vote that year but was halted in the Senate. Currently, there are two versions of the Dream Act before Congress, the Dream Act of 2021 (S. 264) and the Dream and Promise Act of 2021 (H.R.6), which just passed and is a version of the Dream Act incorporated into a larger immigration bill.
During last Thursday’s vote, Dreamers on the National Mall gathered around a giant screen holding a watch party as each vote was cast. Every “yes” vote prompted cries of jubilation outside, as well as impassioned proclamations by lawmakers inside the House chamber.
“I rise today in strong support of the American Dream and Promise Act as an immigrant myself, who came to America alone at the age of 16 and who spent a decade in the immigrant rights movement before coming to Congress,” declared Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), as she voted in favor of the act.
“I stand with the Dreamers, and TPS and DED recipients who have courageously proclaimed undocumented and unafraid in the streets and halls of Congress and built this movement for Justice,” Jayapal added referring to Temporary Protected Status and Deferred Enforced Departure programs.
As the hours elapsed and each vote was cast, new hope emerged. Around 5 p.m. the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA), announced the bill had passed, thumping his gavel. It now moves to the Senate, where youth immigrant organizations are urging fast action to bring it to the floor for a vote.
“Next stop: the United States Senate. I, for one, am waiting for a path to legal citizenship in the country I’ve called my home for 27 years. I am an American; I am only waiting for my country to recognize it,” Jose Antonio Vargas wrote on Twitter, contributing to the outpouring of excitement the vote untapped.
Both the dreamer and farm worker bills that passed on Mar. 18 are components of the more comprehensive U.S Citizenship Act of 2021 proposed by President Joe Biden during the first 100 days of his presidency. They would provide a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented individuals. The Dream & Promise Act of 2021 aims to reform the fragmented immigration system and provide relief to TPS holders, DED recipients as well as Dreamers, who are immigrants who have called this country their home since childhood. It passed with a 228-217 victory in the House. If passed in the Senate, it would provide legal permanent residency and protection from deportation.
The Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021, which passed 247-217, seeks to give farmworkers better legal and working conditions. If they continue working as agricultural laborers, farmworkers would be eligible for renewable visas or permanent resident legal status, depending on the length of their U.S. work history.
The House’s passage of the two bills brings hope to millions of undocumented individuals, Greisa Martinez Rosas stated this in a Mar. 18 press release. She is a Dreamer and the executive director of United We Dream, the largest youth-led immigrant organization in the country.
The bill still faces an arduous path to passage in the Senate, requiring at least 10 Republican votes, according to press reports. Immigrant organizations, such as United We Dream, urge supporters call and write their senators to encourage them to vote in favor of both bills.
“This moment brings us closer to winning permanent protections for all 11 million undocumented people living in the U.S. and is just the beginning of what our movement will accomplish,” Martinez said.
“Victory is at our fingertips,” Martinez told the magazine, Nonprofit Quarterly. “The scope of that victory,” she added, “will be determined by the support our movements get now and in the coming months.”
Author’s note: As a member of the Dreamer movement myself, this prominent victory signifies so much for me; it’s passage grants me hope for the future. It diffuses the uncertainty that the unstable immigration system has brought into my life. This victory is the product of raising my voice for a cause that has meant everything to me since I first discovered that I was undocumented in this country. This victory stems from years of the organizational efforts by allies who have jointly raised their voice for this cause. In order to continue witnessing such achievements within the immigration system, we have more organizing ahead.
—Dulce Mata
*Story produced in Hola Cultura’s Storytelling Program for Experiential Learning (S.P.E.L.)
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