Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos and his wife MacKenzie donated $33 million recently to fund scholarships for "Dreamers," according to TheDream.US program.
The grant pledged to TheDream.US scholarship program will help fund college for 1,000 undocumented immigrants with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status, the organization said in a news release.
The funds will allow 1,000 students who are enrolled in college to receive $33,000 over four years to help with the cost of tuition, books, and fees.
Eligible Dreamers must attend one of 70 low-cost schools in 15 states that partner with the 3 1/2-year-old program.
“My dad came to the U.S. when he was 16 as part of Operation Pedro Pan,” Jeff Bezos said in the news release. “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,”said Jeff Bezos, owner of the Washington Post.
Jeff Bezos, along with 100 business leaders co-signed a letter to congressional leaders urging them to pass legislation that would allow some 800,000 Dreamers to stay in the U.S. after the DACA program expires in March, CNBC reported.
"The imminent termination of the DACA program is creating an impending crisis for workforces across the country," the letter reads.
Lawmakers have until Friday at midnight to agree on a short-term spending bill to avoid a government shutdown, ABC News reported.
Democrats are insisting on a DACA fix in exchange for votes on the short-term spending bill.
Republicans say the Democrats aren't willing to negotiate with them on border security and chain migration, and President Donald Trump tweeted Monday that Democrats aren't cooperating on a making a deal.
"Statement by me last night in Florida: 'Honestly, I don’t think the Democrats want to make a deal. They talk about DACA, but they don’t want to help..We are ready, willing and able to make a deal but they don’t want to. They don’t want security at the border, they don’t want....."
"...to stop drugs, they want to take money away from our military which we cannot do.' My standard is very simple, AMERICA FIRST & MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"
