A first-generation American, Sen. Nikki Torres, R-Pasco, was born in the United States but her family came from Mexico without documentation.
She is the first Latina senator elected to represent a Central Washington district, and with those constituents in mind, she is pushing an issue that many in the Republican Party have been skeptical of: help for so-called “Dreamers.”
Senate Bill 5631, would require all state agencies to clearly identify on their websites which programs and services accept applicants with federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival status.
Across the nation, some Republican-led states have opposed DACA. However, Torres said it should come as no surprise to see a Republican sponsoring a bill supporting DACA recipients, stating that the GOP previously supported undocumented immigrants during President Ronald Reagan’s amnesty program in 1986, during which her parents applied for citizenship.
“They’re here to give back to the community,” Torres said. “They’re the ones that are staying here and working hard in our communities. They just want a better future for themselves.”
Established in 2012, DACA aims to protect immigrants who came to the U.S. as children from deportation and provides them with a work permit. As of September 2022, there were over 14,600 DACA recipients in Washington. It ranks among the top 10 states overall with DACA recipients.
In Washington, DACA recipients can apply for driver’s licenses, in-state tuition, student financial aid and government-funded health care assistance.
Many Dreamers simply don’t know what services they qualify for because of the lack of information available on state agencies’ websites, Torres said.
This bill aims to streamline the process and make information more accessible, she said.
It was first introduced last legislative session but died in the state Senate without getting a floor vote. This session, it unanimously passed the Senate and is now headed to the House State Government and Tribal Relations Committee, where it is scheduled for a Jan. 31 public hearing.
