Imagine living every day with the fear that you might be forced to leave your family, friends, job and community. Really, take a moment right now and imagine that existence. Imagine yourself in that position. That daily fear is what Dreamers face.

Brought to the U.S. as children by no choice of their own, Dreamers live in limbo because they lack legal documentation. While the Biden administration has reinstated the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program granting two-year residency permits to select Dreamers, the program is frequently subject to legal challenges.

Dreamers should not have to live constantly fearing that DACA will be overturned by a capricious judge. That is no way to live.

Congress must take action now to protect Dreamers. Right now, there is an opportunity to pass protections for Dreamers through budget reconciliation. Dreamers are essential to our community and our economy. We must not let this opportunity pass.

As a social worker, educator, and the House chair of the legislature’s Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, I stand with Dreamers who have only ever known America as their home. Dreamers have stood with us in difficult times, serving as essential workers during the pandemic, but they have also contributed to our economy and society long before the pandemic made them essential workers. They should no longer have to be vulnerable to deportation and separation from their families.

I am calling on Maine’s members of Congress to lead and pass protections for Dreamers. The time is now.

Rep. Charlotte Warren

D-Hallowell