Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla., told reporters on Monday that a deal has been struck in the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus for a bill that would protect “Dreamers” — children brought to the U.S. by undocumented parents — and increase border security. However, in order for it to be passed in 2017, it would have to be introduced this week.

And so the clock continues to tick. It’s high time that Congress stops the endless delays and passes a permanent legislative fix for America’s Dreamers.

Every passing day is critical for this vulnerable group, who were previously protected under the Obama administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy. In September, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the DACA program will end in March 2018, leaving the legal status of nearly 800,000 people residing in the U.S. in limbo.

If 800,000 sounds like an awfully large number for the government to offer no option but deportation, your concern should be amplified by the fact that Dreamers are not just any immigrants. DACA applicants must have enrolled in school or enlisted in the military to receive the program’s protections, cultivating strong American roots. Indeed, for many Dreamers, the U.S. is the only country they are familiar with, having been brought to the country as children.

Will Congress allow itself to disappoint thousands of servicemen and veteran Dreamers? These are precisely the type of educated and patriotic citizens that America should embrace, not threaten to deport.

This is not just an emotional issue, but an economic one too. Economists warn that such a sweeping deportation would greatly hinder economic growth. As the editorial board of The Register-Guard explained this week: “Taxpayers have invested in these young people’s growth and education. The DACA youth repay this by contributing to America by working, paying taxes and creating jobs… Also to be considered is what those Dreamers are contributing in return, and will be contributing in the future.”

The Center for American Progress estimates this return to be an addition of $281 billion to U.S. GDP over the next decade. It’s no surprise that Dreamers, with strong American roots and an education, have great value to add to the economy. This fact is backed up by history as well. As of 2011, 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children.

For the sake of our economy, Congress cannot disappoint by failing to find a legislative solution for these potential entrepreneurs.

Fortunately, a number of solutions have been proposed in recent weeks, from the largely Democratically-sponsored Dream Act to the largely Republican-sponsored Recognizing America’s Children Act. Congress has the tools to work with; they just need to get the job done.

Hopefully this bipartisan solution, protecting DACA recipients while strengthening our borders, will stop the countdown to March at long last and allow these promising residents the peace of mind to pursue the American dream.

Casey Given (@CaseyJGiven) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner's Beltway Confidential blog. He is the executive director of Young Voices.

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