Rep. Barragan of California says that, as president, Harris will expand DACA protections

CHICAGO - U.S. Rep. Nanette Barragan of California spoke with USA TODAY at the Democratic convention last week, saying that a potential Kamala Harris administration would push for expanded protections for “dreamers”—people covered by the Obama-era immigration policy Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

“I know that a President Kamala Harris is very supportive and is going to be ready on day one to sign a bill from Congress to provide those protections that we need to provide for dreamers,” Barragan said.

DACA offers deferred deportation (but not a green card or citizenship) to some people with a clean criminal history and a high school degree or military service record who came to the United States with their family as children.

The law was passed in 2012 as a temporary measure, and holders of legal status based on DACA remain in a tenuous position as courts have repeatedly thrown the law’s status into doubt.

Earlier this year, President Joe Biden’s administration expanded the law to add a path for DACA recipients to apply for employer-sponsored work visas and green cards. It also allowed them to enroll in the Affordable Care Act exchange health insurance plans, often called “Obamacare.”

Still, the fate of DACA—whether it will be overturned or expanded—is not set in stone.

Barragan said that the president alone cannot expand laws like DACA: “That’s something that Congress is going to have to do.”

Only a majority in both chambers of Congress will ensure that Democratic policy priorities like expanding DACA will necessarily be able to move forward.

“That’s why we’re on the trail now, working to make sure that, not only do we get the House back, but we get it back with a majority big enough so we can get things through. The Senate’s going to be critical in that effort too. But we will continue to push to make sure that a President Kamala Harris provides as many protections as possible to dreamers.”

“We just saw the administration provide greater access to healthcare to dreamers,” Barragan continued. “And so we’ll continue to do that until we, of course, hear from the courts.”

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Barragan says Harris will expand DACA