September 26, 2017

Rep. Torres Signs Petition to Bring DREAM Act to the House Floor, Calls for Immediate Action

Washington, DC – Today, Rep. Norma J. Torres (CA-35) joined dozens of House Democrats in signing a petition to force a vote on the bipartisan DREAM Act. If the petition is signed by a majority of Members, the House would have to take a vote on this legislation, which would offer a path to citizenship for young immigrants who were brought to the United States as children.

"President Trump has put in jeopardy the hopes and dreams of hard-working young immigrants." said Rep. Torres. "Now Congress must act to protect those 800,000 young men and women, who bravely came out of the shadows to sign up for the DACA program. I urge each and every one of my colleagues to sign this discharge petition and bring the DREAM Act to the floor. "

Rep. Torres has been a strong and vocal supporter of the effort to bring peace of mind to young DREAMers who are living in fear because of President Trump's dangerous decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which protected them against deportation. Torres has met with DREAMers from the 35th District and participated in events in the community calling attention to the unique challenges they face, including the many who know no other home than the United States.

H.R. 3440, the DREAM Act, is bipartisan, bicameral legislation which would permanently protect DREAMers from deportation. It was originally introduced by Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) on July 26. Rep. Torres is a cosponsor of the bill. In addition to cosponsoring the DREAM Act, Torres has introduced the Dreamer Protection Act (H.R. 1487), and attempted to block funding and prevent the deportation of Dreamers.

Residents of the 35th congressional district, which includes the cities of Bloomington, Chino, Fontana, Montclair, Ontario, Pomona, and Rialto, should call Rep. Torres's Ontario Office at (909) 481-6474 with any questions or concerns. They can also reach her office through a 24 hour immigration hotline should they need help outside of regular hours at (909) 767-7038.