Dive Brief:

• Tech companies are once again taking a stand against the Trump Administration's stance on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The Coalition for the American Dream, a collection of around two dozen companies including Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, Intel and IBM, is asking for bipartisan legislation to provide a path to permanent residency for Dreamers, according to documents first seen and reported by Reuters.

• The move follows a letter signed by approximately 800 companies — including many of the tech companies that joined the coalition — which was sent to Congress following the announcement of the DACA wind down, according to Reuters. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg co-founded FWD.us, a pro-immigration reform organization, which has been instrumental in coordinating these efforts.

• Uber and Intel spokespeople affirmed their company's support of legislation to protect Dreamers, but as of yet, most companies have not released public comments on involvement, according to Reuters.

Dive Insight:

President Donald Trump signaled a "wind down" of the program in early September, calling for congressional legislation to cover what Attorney General Jeff Sessions described as an overreach of the executive office. Around 800,000 young immigrants under the program will start seeing the effects of said wind down beginning March 2018.

President Trump previously met with the leaders of most of these tech companies at a summit in December to plan government IT modernization and cost savings in addition to discussing other economic matters.

While his September announcement drew the ire of many famous faces in the tech sphere, by pushing the onus of DACA and immigration reform to Congress, Trump has forced companies to redirect focus toward 535 representatives.

Tax reform is dominating the congressional fall agenda, and DACA advocates will be hard pressed to find an opening in the remaining calendar year before Congress breaks for the holiday season. Trump expressed admiration of major tech leaders and initiated meetings with them before and after assuming office, but members of Congress may not be so receptive.

Congress is rarely known for tackling issues with undue haste, and the Republican-majority chambers may prove a tough battleground for tech leaders and companies advocating on behalf of DACA employees