Many tech companies have voiced their support for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, but Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos have taken even further action to provide support for the program.
Jeff Bezos and his wife MacKenzie have donated $33 million in support to DACA recipients, also known as Dreamers. The money was donated to TheDream.US, which provides scholarships to Dreamers. They donation will give 1,000 DACA recipients money to attend college. This is the largest donation in the history of TheDream.US.
“My dad came to the US when he was 16 as part of Operation Pedro Pan,” Jeff Bezos said in a statement. “He landed in this country alone and unable to speak English. With a lot of grit and determination — and the help of some remarkable organizations in Delaware — my dad became an outstanding citizen, and he continues to give back to the country that he feels blessed him in so many ways. MacKenzie and I are honored to be able to help today’s Dreamers by funding these scholarships.”
When President Trump account decision to remove DACA protections in September of last year, many CEOs, including Bezos, signed a letter asking Trump to keep the program going and not end it. Then in October, many companies such as Facebook, Amazon and Google said they would lobby Congress to pass DACA protective legislation. In November, over 100 companies filed an amicus brief in support of plaintiffs aiming to have DACA protections put back in place.
Dreams that receive aid from TheDream.US will receive $33,000 in scholarships spread out over the span of four years. “Our students are highly motivated and determined to succeed in college and in life. We’re a three-and-a-half-year-old program, so we don’t yet have graduation rates,” said the organization’s president, Candy Marshall, in a statement. “But our scholars are thriving academically. 94% return to their college after the first year; the national average is 72%. We expect a 75% graduation rate.”
