White House hopeful Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) unveiled a plan Wednesday pledging to use executive action to provide Dreamers a pathway to citizenship if she's elected president.
“Dreamers grew up in our communities and pledge allegiance to our flag. They serve in our military and thrive in our universities. Their families are an integral part of our country and economy. They represent the best of who we are and know no other place but the United States as their home,” Harris said in the plan.
“As president, Harris will take executive action to keep immigrant families together and eliminate barriers that prevent Dreamers from accessing a path to U.S. citizenship.”
This is not the first time Harris has proposed going around Congress and using executive action to tackle a core Democratic issue. Harris announced in April that she would use the power of the presidency to enact sweeping gun control measures if Congress fails to send comprehensive legislation to her desk in her first 100 days.
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"Despite his best efforts, he can't shake the resolve of our Dreamers and the hope they have in the America we'll build when he's gone," Harris' plan states. "It's an America where families are kept together, not torn apart. It's an America where children are cared for, not kept in cages. It's an America where Dreamers are finally recognized for what they are: Americans.
To do that, Harris' plan will issue four specific executive actions to make applying for a green card easier for Dreamers who have work in the United States or family in the country.
Leopold said the only reason many deferred action recipients can't receive a pathway to citizenship "is because of certain technicalities and interpretation." But Harris, Leopold added, "plowed through this statute, read it carefully, and found ways to find solutions though executive action" and without congressional movement.
This issue could be headed to the Supreme Court, too.
The Supreme Court signaled on Monday that it would meet behind closed doors Thursday to discuss whether to take up a case for next term concerning the phase out of the DACA program. If they decide to take up the case, that means a decision could would be rendered during the heart of the 2020 presidential campaign.