Bipartisan group reintroduced the Dream and Promise Act on the anniversary of DACA

June 15th marked the eleventh anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and a bipartisan group of representatives reintroduced a bill to provide a pathway to permanent residency for undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children, often referred to as Dreamers. The Dream and Promise Act originally passed the House in 2021, but did not make it to a vote in the Senate.

“This is not simply a Democratic issue or a Republican issue," said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. "It shouldn’t be viewed as a partisan issue. Standing with ‘Dreamers,’ standing with TPS recipients, standing with those who deserve a pathway towards citizenship is an American issue. Period. Full stop. America is a nation of immigrants. We are a gorgeous mosaic of people who come to this country from all throughout the world.”

At least 78 dead and hundreds others missing after a migrant boat sank off the coast of Greece

A fishing boat that was reported to be carrying up to 750 migrants capsized in the Mediterranean Sea early Wednesday morning. According to the latest reports, 104 individuals have been rescued. The Greek coast guard has arrested 9 crew members for human smuggling. The coast guard is being criticized because they reportedly ignored a signal that the boat was in distress, however spokesperson Nikos Alexiou said they offered assistance, but were repeatedly told by the crew that help was not needed.

Migrants consider leaving Florida as a new immigration law is set to take effect

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed an immigration bill in May that is set to take effect July 1, causing many migrants to assess whether or not they should continue to live in the state. The law targets workers in Florida who do not have proper documentation, ends programs that provide identification cards to individuals without legal status, and cracks down on people who knowingly transport migrants without documentation.

“We don’t want to leave, but we feel safer somewhere else,” said Miguel Perez, who immigrated without documentation 20 years ago and has lived and worked in Florida since then. “We are no longer 20 years old to be taking risks.” He moved to Louisiana when he heard that DeSantis had signed the new law.

This week's news blog was written by Jen Wellman.