AURORA | Aurora Congressman Mike Coffman signed on with other lawmakers in an attempt to force a legislative fix to the imperiled Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy, also known as DACA, before the year ends.
In a letter, along with several other lawmakers from both parties, Coffman asks House Speaker Paul Ryan to expedite a DACA remedy to prevent it from expiring. The program is used by a plethora of Aurora residents.
Earlier this year President Donald Trump rescinded the policy that offers some protections to young immigrants who were illegally brought to the U.S. as children. So far, there has been plenty of agreement from both parties that Congress needs to act and even more debate on what that action might look like.
The letter said the bunch agreed with Trump that “executive action was not the appropriate process for solving this issue.” But the clock is ticking as the order is set to expire in March. Lawmakers said they would like to see legislation passed by the end of the year.
“Reaching across the aisle to protect DACA recipients before the holidays is the right thing to do,” the letter said.
Coffman told the Aurora Sentinel his BRIDGE Act, which would extend DACA for three years, is still an option. It’s been put on the backburner so that Congress can focus on a full DREAM Act. But if a legislative fix doesn’t gain movement closer to the March deadline, the congressman said he might be forced to act and push the BRIDGE Act to a vote.
Though, that might not be necessary. The congressman said the working group he’s in seems to be moving toward legislation.
“Negotiations have not been easy, but we are making progress,” Coffman said, adding that border security has been the crux of the conversation.
Democrats have made their case for a clean Dream Act, but Republicans along with the president have pushed back, wanting provisions for border security.