Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) today announced that, tomorrow, December 13th, she will black out her website with a message of support for Dreamers for three hours, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. E.T. Members of the Senate Democratic Caucus will also demonstrate their solidarity with Dreamers throughout the day.
“Three months ago, President Trump rescinded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The damage is already being felt for Dreamers across the country. As of today, more than 11,300 Dreamers have already lost their protection. That means an estimated 122 Dreamers are losing their protected status every day,” said Cortez Masto. “If Congress does not act now to protect Dreamers, 800,000 young people in our communities are going to see their lives fall apart. They will have to drop out of school. They will have to leave their jobs. They will lose everything, from their drivers’ licenses, to their health insurance, to their scholarships and student loans. They will even face the threat of being forcibly detained and thrown out of the only home they have ever known.
“This is a humanitarian crisis. Not just for these kids, but for our families, our schools, and our country. This is also an economic crisis. If Congress does nothing to prevent Dreamers from losing their jobs, our GDP will shrink by at least $460 billion. On December 13th, I will be posting a black landing page to my website, with only the words, ‘I stand with Dreamers,’ to demonstrate my support for Dreamers and the Dream Act. From 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. E.T., I will black out my website so that only this message is visible. It is long past time for my colleagues in Congress to stop making empty promises and start working together to pass legislation that will allow Dreamers to pursue their lives without the threat of deportation looming over their heads.”
Tomorrow’s website blackout is one component of Senator Cortez Masto’s fight to pass the Dream Act. She is leading the #DreamActNow and #AmericanDreamer social media campaigns this week. She has also hosted roundtables, including one last month in Reno, to hear directly from Dreamers in Nevada. Earlier today, she delivered a speech on the Senate floor in support of the Dream Act.