Gov. Brian Sandoval is one of 11 governors to sign a letter urging congressional leadership to quickly pass Dreamers legislation.
The bipartisan list consists of five Democrats and six Republicans including Sandoval.
The letter says more than 12,000 dreamers have already lost their protected status and are susceptible to deportation with 100 losing protection every day.
“Those numbers will accelerate dramatically without a legislative fix,” stated the letter to Speaker Paul Ryan, House minority leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
“Given this urgency, we encourage you to come together quickly to shape a bipartisan solution that allows our dreamers to remain in the United States and continue their constructive contributions to our society,” the letter states.
There are nearly 800,000 young people eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that covers children of illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. when they were young, who had no part in the decision to come here and have known no other home.
They pointed out DACA recipients have undergone extensive background and security checks and are paying taxes and contributing to their communities.
“In the absence of congressional action providing for a permanent resolution, the termination of DACA puts these young people and their families in peril,” the letter states.
In addition to Sandoval, the letter was signed by Republican Govs. John Kasich of Ohio, Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, Phil Scott of Vermont, Scott Walker of Wisconsin and Gary Herbert of Utah.
Democratic governors who signed on are John Hickenlooper of Colorado, Steve Bullock of Montana, Mark Dayton of Minnesota, Roy Cooper of North Carolina and Tom Wolf of Pennsylvannia.
