Bipartisan Dream Act of 2023 introduced 

On February 9, Democratic Senator Dick Durbin and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham introduced the Dream Act of 2023, which is similar to earlier legislation they have introduced in previous years. The Dream Act would allow individuals, known as Dreamers, who are without lawful status and who had been brought to the U.S. as children to earn lawful permanent residence. “Dreamers are teachers, nurses, and small business owners in our communities, but because DACA hangs by a thread in the courts, they live each day in fear of deportation.  It is clear that only Congress can give them the stability they deserve and a path to lawful permanent residence,” Durbin said. According to a recent poll, the vast majority of voters support legislation providing a permanent solution for Dreamers.

More issues reported with new mobile app for asylum seekers

The CBP One mobile app introduced by the U.S. government that allows migrants to seek asylum by submitting their applications virtually is failing to register many people with darker skin tones, which in turn prevents them from being able to request entry into the U.S. In addition, many migrants have outdated cell phones that cannot support the app and they often have limited to no access to the internet. 

Afghans resettled in the U.S. continue to face an uncertain future

More than 18 months after thousands of Afghan allies were evacuated with U.S. troops from Afghanistan, Congress has still not passed legislation providing a path to permanent legal residency to the many who arrived under humanitarian parole. Their temporary immigration status is set to expire this summer. Many fear they will be forced to return to Afghanistan and they are not able to build their lives here in the U.S. while their futures remain uncertain. The Afghan Adjustment Act, bipartisan legislation that was introduced last year, would provide a pathway to permanent residency for evacuees and their families, but it still has yet to be passed in Congress.