September 20, 2017
TO THE MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS:
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce urges Congress to act quickly to provide permanent
relief for the approximately 800,000 individuals who will be negatively impacted by the
rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program, commonly referred to as
DACA.
Since 2012, individuals have enrolled in the DACA program in good faith, gaining the
legal ability to attend school and work. As a result, they have become even further integrated into
our communities and the nation’s economy. DACA recipients are our friends, our neighbors, and
our coworkers. According to some estimates, approximately 700,000 are employed in the U.S.,
performing a wide variety of jobs across the economy.
If the DACA program is allowed to end, eventually none of these individuals will be
legally allowed to remain—let alone work—in the U.S.
We are pleased to see the strong expressions of support within Congress and the Trump
administration to provide permanent relief to DACA recipients that will protect them from
deportation and put them on a track toward lawful permanent residency and, perhaps eventually,
citizenship.
The statements of support must now be turned into a legislative solution. The clock is
ticking.
We urge you to expeditiously work through the reasonable disagreements over the scope
and details of a legislative solution as well as the inclusion of provisions to increase border
security. The Chamber stands ready to work with you and the administration to ensure that the
legislation crafted is consistent with fundamental American principles and the best interest of the
nation and the American economy.
Sincerely,
Neil L. Bradley
