Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia Joins Dreamers in Houston to Mark 14th Anniversary of DACA and Calls for Passage of American Dream and Promise Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (D-TX-29) joined Dreamers, advocates, and national and local officials at Houston City Hall to mark the 14th anniversary of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and call on Congress to pass the American Dream and Promise Act to provide permanent protections and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants brought into the U.S. as children.

For 14 years, DACA has allowed Dreamers to work, study, support their families, and contribute to the only country many of them have ever called home. But DACA was never meant to be permanent, and Dreamers are now facing one of the most dangerous moments in the program's history as the Trump administration escalates attacks on immigrant communities and DACA recipients.

Across the country, Dreamers are facing extreme processing delays, loss of work authorization, detentions, and deportations.

Congresswoman Garcia was joined by U.S. Representatives Al Green and Christian Menefee; Texas State Representative Christina Morales; Houston City Council Member Alejandra Salinas; DACA beneficiary Marco Antonio Cruz Linares; DACA beneficiary and FIEL Houston representative Wendy Flores; DACA beneficiary Daniel Banda; and Susana Duran, Houston Organizing Manager for the Workers Defense Action Fund.

"Most people do not wake up wondering if they'll be allowed to work tomorrow. Most people do not go to bed wondering if they'll be able to keep their driver's license and take their kids to school, but that is the reality Dreamers are living, and it's very real. Under this president, that uncertainty has become even more cruel. His administration is detaining and deporting Dreamers, delaying renewals, and creating gaps that are costing people their livelihoods," said Congresswoman Garcia.

"That is why I'm leading the American Dream and Promise Act. This bill would give Dreamers permanent protections and a real pathway to citizenship, and it would finally recognize what we already know: Dreamers are home, and they're here to stay," Garcia added.

"I'm proud to say that I am a co-sponsor of the American Dream and Promise Act, and I was a co-sponsor when it passed the House in the 117th Congress. I will continue to be a co-sponsor of this legislation because it will make a difference in the lives of young people who came to our country not of their own volition, but because they were brought here as children," said Congressman Green.

"America's immigration policy right now is inhumane. We have a president who has no problem admitting white immigrants from South Africa into this country. He has no problem admitting immigrants who look like the president and his family. But when we have immigrants from countries who have come here for generations, who have poured so much into our economy, who are our neighbors and friends, they are terrorized by ICE," said Congressman Menefee. "Immigration policy in this country should provide a pathway to citizenship for our Dreamers, for long-term residents, for people who are part of our communities and part of our economy, and we have to be fighting back as hard as we can against the inhumane practices we've seen from the Trump administration."

"I am an American in all but on paper. Thanks to DACA, I was able to obtain a good-paying job and earn a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Houston-Downtown. I also had the opportunity to intern in Congress," said Dreamer Marco Antonio Cruz Linares. "But on June 25, 2026, my DACA will expire. If my renewal is not approved by then, I will be placed on a 30-day leave of absence from my job. After those 30 days, I will lose my job and the income I use to support myself and my family. Because of this administration's policies toward DACA recipients, I could also face detention or deportation."

"This year has been especially difficult for many of us as we experience ongoing delays in our renewals, delays that create a constant mental battle and remind us how much of our lives remain outside our control. The uncertainty we face isn't just logistical; it weighs heavily on our mental well-being and our stability," said Dreamer Wendy Flores. "As we honor this anniversary, I want to leave people with hope for a future where opportunity is not temporary, where our lives are not lived in two-year increments, and where young immigrants are valued not for their status, but for their contributions, their strength, and their unwavering commitment to this country."

"I came to Texas when I was nine months old, and I've lived here my entire life. My DACA status lapsed on the first day of my last semester of college. In an instant, I had no income and no idea how I was going to finish school. The goals I had worked years to achieve suddenly seemed impossible," said Dreamer Daniel Banda. "Today, DACA is being dismantled piece by piece. This is a five-alarm fire. The only solution is a pathway to citizenship. Our lives, safety, and futures are not bargaining chips. We have waited long enough. Congress must pass the American Dream and Promise Act now."

"It's been 14 years since immigrant youth organized and won DACA protections, yet we're at the most vulnerable moment in DACA's history. DACA recipients and the families and communities who rely on them are at risk of family separation and deportation, but Congress has the power to stop this," said Susana Duran, Houston Organizing Manager for the Workers Defense Action Fund. "We applaud Congresswoman Garcia for her unrelenting support of the Dream and Promise Act. This legislation could deliver a pathway to citizenship that keeps our families, our workforce, our communities, and our cultures standing strong instead of dismantling them."

The American people overwhelmingly support action for Dreamers. A 2025 Gallup poll found that 85 percent of Americans support allowing Dreamers to become U.S. citizens if they meet certain requirements. With that level of public support, House leadership has no excuse to block this bill. Dreamers deserve an up-or-down vote, and every Member of Congress should have to say where they stand.

Dreamers also make major contributions to the American economy. They earn an estimated $76 billion in wages each year and pay nearly $24 billion annually in federal, state, and local payroll and income taxes.

The full press conference can be viewed here.