Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly Wednesday announced his support for bipartisan legislation that would protect undocumented young people who were brought to the U.S. as children from being deported. The Bar Removal of Individuals who Dream and Grow our Economy (BRIDGE) Act would provide work authorization and temporary relief from deportation for undocumented young people who are in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Donnelly helped the Senate pass bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform in 2013 and believes it is important for Congress to fix our broken immigration system.
Donnelly said, “Our country is still in need of comprehensive immigration reform, but in the interim we should pass this bipartisan legislation to give these young people, who were brought here through no fault of their own, some clarity and stability. Upending existing protections for the nearly 10,000 young people in Indiana who have come forward, registered, and have been working here legally for several years isn’t the path we should take.”
