Immigrants make significant contributions to our country – from our economy to our cultural diversity and our understanding of the world, immigrants are essential to our identity as a nation. Today and each day without Dream Act legislation, more pain and uncertainty is inflicted on the lives of thousands of young immigrants. Dreamers are Americans in every way but on paper, and they deserve the opportunity to continue their contributions to the only country they know as home.

Here are just a few of the many contributions immigrants make to our nation:

• Immigration has an overall positive impact on our long-term economic growth.

• Higher immigration levels can actually have a positive impact on wages of native-born American, and even lower-skilled workers.

• Immigrants are about twice as likely to start their own business than a native-born American.

• Immigration has a net positive effect on federal and local budgets.

• Second-generation immigrants make greater tax contributions than native-born Americans.

• Dreamers are actively contributing to our economy and not allowing them to stay could cost the economy billions of dollars, as well as billions of tax dollars foregone. 

• Immigrants have enriched our culture, arts, media and science by making unique contributions to our nation and the world. Take just a handful of examples:  Albert Einstein, Sergey Brin, Madeleine Albright, Isabel Allende.

This week, Republicans in Congress can take action and protect our neighbors, friends, and colleagues from losing their jobs, driver’s licenses, and ability to support their families, but instead they are trying to use the open debate to bring up legislation that doesn’t address Dreamers or the border. They need to stop wasting time and work with Democrats in good faith to find a solution for our American Dreamers without closing the door to new legal immigrants.

It’s time for Trump and Republicans to stop playing games with immigrants’ lives.