Tuesday, December 10, 2024

A group of DREAMers in New York ring NASDAQ opening bell

A group of immigrants that included DREAMers and temporary protected status (TPS) beneficiaries rang the opening bell for the Nasdaq stock exchange today, one day after the House passed a bill that would grant them permanent residency.

The immigrants are in New York for a set of meetings with business and community leaders put together by the Libre Initiative and Stand Together, part of mega-donor Charles Koch’s political network, and business partners including Microsoft, the largest company traded on Nasdaq by market capitalization.

The group was chosen to ring the opening bell to kick off immigrant heritage month.

Daniel Garza, president of Libre, and Jorge Lima, senior vice president for Stand Together said in a statement that “while immigration is good for our country, our current system is not.” “These talented young people want to help build a better and stronger America. All they’re asking for is an end to the uncertainty that our broken laws create,” they added.

DREAMEers and TPS holders are also celebrating passage of the American Dream and Promise Act in the House on Tuesday, which would give them permanent residency with a path to citizenship.

The Senate will likely not take up the bill, as the White House has expressed its opposition. Facebook also collaborated on the effort, as well as the National Immigration Forum, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Americans for Prosperity and FWD.us, an immigration reform organization founded by tech industry leaders.

THE HILL