Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), the party’s most vocal advocate for immigrants, said he’s frustrated that Democrats aren’t taking a harder line on adding language protecting those covered by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to the stopgap.
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“Not optimistic. I think Democrats have really not stood up for the Dreamers as they can,” he said, referring to young immigrants brought to the country illegally who are allowed to work and go to school in the United States under DACA.
Dozens of House Democrats and a coalition of progressive senators that includes several possible 2020 hopefuls have said that they will oppose an end-of-year short-term stopgap measure without a DACA deal.
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