Support The Bridge Act

"As we get closer to the day that Donald Trump actually becomes the President of the United States, the urgency of our movement grows exponentially. We will not be silent, we will not be silenced and we will unite to oppose any and all policies that hurt the American people. Our duty is to protect the heart of this nation, and be more prepared for the first day of his administration than he is." 

~ Our friend Michael Skolnik

Under Democratic President Barack Obama, many undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children were given protections under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). 

DACA provides a path to legal work and deferred action on deportation. It's intelligently done and worth supporting. Now, with a Trump presidency looming, DACA is in danger, as are the Dreamers who have benefited from it. 

In case you are not aware of who DACA protected, here's the basics,

If you arrived in the United States before age 16
and
If you were born on or after June 15, 1981
and
If you have lived in the United States since 2007

Then
if you can prove you are either in school
or
have a high school diploma or GED
or
have served in the US Military

Then you might be eligible to apply for a
work permit
student loans
a driver's license
a social security number

That's it. It doesn't make you a citizen, it just makes you legal to be here, it makes you a "documented" resident for a limited amount of time, 2 years, during which time you may try to apply for citizenship. No promises.

Trump has said he'll deport all undocumented immigrants, and his intended Attorney General has stated opposition to even legal immigration. If you want to know more about that you can read more here:

Project 1461

On Friday, December 9th, another smart move was made. The BRIDGE Act was introduced in the United States Senate by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), which provides a clean, legislative solution for 750,000 Dreamers who earned work permits and temporary relief from deportation.

Whether you are emotionally effected by the outcome of the election, or just a patriotic citizen surprised by the moves already made by the presumptive President-Elect, it would be totally worth your time to call your Senator and voice your support of this work.

So...

Please call your United States Senator. "Well, I don't even know who that is," you say. "And I don't know how to get a phone number of a person I don't even know," you say. Well, no worries, we got you:

You can find out who your representative is and how to contact them here:

http://www.whoismyrepresentative.com/

and tell them that you support the BRIDGE Act.

SHARE AND ACT! CALL TODAY, TOMORROW, AND THE NEXT!!

Go ahead, you can do it now, we'll wait...(make sure you call your Senator's local office and their office in D.C.)

So, now that that's done, it felt great, right? You weighed in, good for you. What's next? 

You could also send a letter, a paper letter, showing your support. That's a bigger ask, but maybe you're so darn mad you'll be happy we even suggested it. 

Until next time, the struggle continues....

The Policy Geek