Latino

Koch group brings pro-Dreamer swag to Congressional Baseball Game

by Rafael Bernal - 06/14/18 4:09 PM ET

A political group backed by conservative megadonors Charles and David Koch will distribute t-shirts, beer koozies and foam fingers supporting a legislative fix for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program at Thursday’s Congressional Baseball Game.

The LIBRE Initiative — the Koch network’s Hispanic arm — will send 50 volunteers to distribute the swag at Nationals Park for the annual game between Republican and Democratic members of Congress.

The volunteers, 25 per side, will give away 1,000 koozies and 1,000 red-and-blue foam fingers that say, “Batter up, Congress! Dreamers are waiting.”

The koozies, and the volunteers’ t-shirts, will read, “90% of Americans want Dreamers safe at home. #whatarewewaitingfor.”

Along with the ballpark giveaways, the LIBRE Initiative is running a series of digital ads targeted at Capitol Hill and will upload a Snapchat geo-filter for those attending the game.

LIBRE, and the Koch network in general, have been active in supporting members — Republican and Democratic — who promise a legislative fix to allow so-called Dreamers to stay in the United States.

President Trump rescinded DACA in September, initially giving Congress until March to find a legislative replacement to allow Dreamers — undocumented immigrants who arrived in the country as children — to legally live and work in the United States.

Court decisions extended the DACA program past Trump’s deadline, initially chilling congressional attention to the issue.

But a group of centrist Republicans revived the issue through a petition to circumvent leadership and force a vote on immigration, leading to immigration negotiations inside the GOP Conference.

Republicans released legislative language for a Republican immigration deal Thursday afternoon, and leadership has promised to bring that bill, plus a hardline bill proposed by Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) to the floor for a vote.

Tags Bob Goodlatte Donald Trump