U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist urged the U.S. House to pass the DREAM Act today. The DREAM Act provides a pathway to citizenship for so-called DREAMers.

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, D-St. Petersburg, took the House floor today (Feb. 6) to call for an up-or-down vote to protect DACA recipients from deportation.

Recipients of DACA – or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals – are also known as DREAMers. DACA and the term DREAMers refers to undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children. The group has no way to attain citizenship or permanent legal status, but the DACA legislation allowed them to come out of the shadows and get drivers licenses, attend college, get jobs and pay income taxes.

Crist is a sponsor of the DREAM Act in addition to the American Hope Act and Uniting and Securing America Act, all of which would create a pathway to citizenship for DREAMers.

Crist’s statement calling for passage of the DREAM Act:

“I rise to tell the story of a young teen who came to our country with nothing but hope for a better future.

“No English. No money. Just a dream.

“The story may sound familiar, but it’s special to me. It’s the story of my grandfather, Adam Christodoulos.

“The story of America is a story of immigrants.

“Now we have a whole new generation of immigrants who embody our American values: family, hard work, service, love for the United States, and dreams for the future.

“Without immigrants – from the construction worker in St. Petersburg to the CEO in Clearwater – there is no middle class.

“Let’s remember the Golden Rule, treating all of God’s children the way we want to be treated – fairly, and with compassion.

“Mr. Speaker, let’s pass a clean DREAM Act today. We have the votes. We just need the will.”

Crist represents Florida’s 13th Congressional District, which includes south and mid-Pinellas County.

For information about Crist, go to crist.house.gov. For a video of Crist on the House floor, go to youtube.com.

Charlie Crist | DACA | DREAMers | DREAM Act | Immigration | Illegal Immigrants | Tampabay News

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