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Trump’s most recent challenge to DACA failed when on Feb. 26, 2018, the Supreme Court refused to review lower court decisions that keep DACA in place indefinitely. This administration will undoubtedly continue to challenge the path to citizenship for people brought into our country at a young age. Newhouse could change that but apparently he won’t. 

There are 19,500 potential citizens in Congressional District 4 alone who meet the criteria to walk the path to citizenship under the Dream Act of 2017. According to the Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration, this could improve Washington State’s GDP by as much as $527,582,000 per year.

In March 2016, Newhouse voted yes for the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time ever to submit an amicus brief to the Supreme Court, opposing an Obama executive order that included an expansion of DACA. In January 2017, Newhouse co-sponsored H.R. 496, the Bridge Act, that would have extended DACA for three years. However, Newhouse has failed to follow through with the procedure necessary to force a vote. If Newhouse would sign discharge petition 115-4, filed in September 2017, it could force House Speaker Paul Ryan to have a floor vote on the bill.

Actions speak louder than words. Don’t listen to what Newhouse says, look at what Newhouse does. If Newhouse wants to be a champion of this issue, he needs to bring it to a vote. Ask him to take action now.

Pat Leigh

Winthrop