Ramirez, Allred Introduce Bill to Expand Access to National Service for Dreamers
Washington, D.C.---This week, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03) and Congressman Colin Allred (TX-32) introduced the AmeriCorps Access for Dreamers Act to expand education award opportunities and pathways into national service for Dreamers in our nation. The legislation provides access to the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award for DACA recipients who have volunteered to serve communities with the Congressional-created AmeriCorps.
The Segal AmeriCorps Education Award helps AmeriCorps volunteers repay qualified student loans and pay for expected higher education and training program expenses. While Dreamers are currently eligible to serve under AmeriCorps VISTA, they remain ineligible for the Segal Education Award.
“The AmeriCorps program and the Segal Education Award provide people of all backgrounds the opportunity to serve our communities and pursue higher education. These transformational career and educational opportunities should be accessible to students, regardless of income or immigration status,” said Congresswoman Ramirez. “I’m proud to co-lead with Congressman Colin Allred the AmeriCorps Access for Dreamers Act, which expands the Segal Education Award’s eligibility to DACA recipients. I urge my colleagues to join us in ensuring more inclusive institutions and more accessible opportunities for our young people.”
"Our Dreamers know no home other than America and should have every opportunity to serve our nation, and this bill ensures that they have more pathways to do just that through AmeriCorps," said Allred. "As we continue to work toward a long-term solution to ensure Dreamers have a pathway to citizenship, I’m proud to lead this legislation to ensure Dreamers have access to the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award."
“Thank you, Representatives Allred and Ramirez, for introducing this bill that will allow individuals with DACA status to serve in AmeriCorps and make an impact in their communities,” said AnnMaura Connolly, President of Voices for National Service. “National service should be an opportunity for all, regardless of their background, and our communities will be better off for it."
“Being an education leader in Dallas, where more than 70% of the students in our classrooms are Latino, I’ve seen how so many of our young leaders are flourishing and wishing to give back to their own communities as they graduate," said Heather Holland, Senior Vice President and Executive Director for City Year Dallas. "It is my hope to extend the opportunity to serve to DACA recipients as they have seen firsthand the opportunities afforded by our country and hope they are able to instill that in the next generation of leaders.”
The bill is cosponsored by Reps. Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), and Nydia Velázquez (NY-07).
The AmeriCorps Access for Dreamers Act is endorsed by organizations working to expand national service, such as Voices for National Service, City Year Inc., and Teach For America.
To read the full text of the legislation, click here.
BACKGROUND
The AmeriCorps was created by Congress in 1993 with the designation to strengthen communities and foster civic engagement through national service. Annually, more than 200,000 individuals are placed all over the nation through AmeriCorps to serve their communities.
Congresswoman Delia Ramirez is the only member of Congress married to a DACA recipient. Since coming to Congress, Representative Ramirez has prioritized delivering a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and achieving humane, comprehensive immigration reform for the broader undocumented community. In July 2023, Congresswoman Ramirez became the first freshman in the House to co-lead the reintroduction of the bipartisan American Dream and Promise Act in the 118th Congress alongside the chief sponsor, Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia. The American Dream and Promise Act provides a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) recipients.
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