Tech firms to lobby for ‘Dreamers’ in US

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) — Nearly two dozen major companies in technology and other industries are planning to launch a coalition to demand legislation that would allow young, illegal immigrants a path to permanent residency, according to documents seen by Reuters.

The Coalition for the American Dream intends to ask Congress to pass bipartisan legislation this year that would allow these immigrants — often referred to as “Dreamers” — to continue working in the United States, the documents said.

Alphabet Inc.’s Google, Microsoft Corp., Amazon.com Inc., Facebook Inc., Intel Corp., Uber Technologies Inc., IBM Corp., Marriott International Inc. and other top US companies are listed as members, one of the documents shows.

Reuters was the first to report the news.

Amazon, Intel, Uber and Univision Communications Inc. confirmed their memberships, but the other companies did not immediately comment.

It is possible that plans to launch the group could change.

“We’re pleased to join with other organizations in urging Congress to pass legislation to protect Dreamers,” Intel spokesman Will Moss said in a statement.

Matthew Wing, a spokesman for Uber, said: “Uber joined the Coalition for the American Dream because we stand with the Dreamers. We’ve also held town halls, provided legal support and launched an online Dreamer Resource Center for any of our drivers.”

The push for this legislation comes after President Donald Trump’s September decision to allow the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to expire in March.

Established by former president Barack Obama in 2012, DACA allows approximately 900,000 illegal immigrants to obtain work permits.