Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) cosponsored legislation introduced by Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) to safeguard the private data of young immigrants enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The Protect DREAMer Confidentiality Act of 2019 would protect the confidentiality of information such as addresses and telephone numbers submitted as part of an application for deferred action to ensure applicants are not unfairly targeted for deportation.
“For the Silver State’s 13,000 Dreamers, home has always meant Nevada. They’ve studied and worked hard to contribute to our communities as teachers, medical professionals, caregivers, and business owners. This legislation would give Nevada’s Dreamers the certainty that their information won’t be misused to target them or their family members.”
BACKGROUND:
Other cosponsors of the Protect DREAMer Confidentiality Act include Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass).
This legislation would protect the confidentiality of information submitted in requests for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program from disclosure to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or U.S. Customs and Border Protection for any purpose other than implementing the DACA Program, unless there are national security concerns or other limited exceptions.