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DACA Program at Grave Risk Next Month
Let's take a step back and make sure everyone understands what DACA is and why it exists.
The DREAM Act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) was proposed legislation that failed in December 2010 due a Republican-controlled Senate. In response, President Obama issued DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) as an Executive Order in June 2012. Both DREAM and DACA were designed to allow people who came to the U.S. as children and illegally residing here to get their work authorizations, Social Security number, and driver’s license. Only the DREAM Act as previously written would enable a green card to be obtained.
DACA, as a temporary step, provides a 2-year deferment from deportation actions and provides eligibility for a work permit.
DACA states that the government will not deport those who meet certain criteria, including but not limited to:
- Children who arrived here before the age of 16 and are under 31 years of age on June 15, 2012
- Individuals who are in school or possess a high school diploma
- Applicants who have lived here for at least five years
- People who have not committed serious crimes
Since DACA participants must self-identify as being unlawful residents, they are now easy to indentify and face deportation proceedings if the program is terminated by Trump and Republicans.
Under DACA, nearly 800,000 undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children were given a work permit and protected from deportation.
DACA and the HUMAN BEINGS contributing to our nation under the program are at grave risk as Republican leaders in 10 states sue to end it.
Top Republican officials in 10 states are threatening to take legal action against the Trump administration if it does not end an Obama-era program.
In a letter sent to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the group of attorneys general — plus Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter — gave the administration until Sept. 5 to begin phasing out the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, before they take up the issue in federal court.
What will happen now?
DACA advocates said they are worried that Trump — who has intensified immigration enforcement and, as a candidate, promised to end the program on his first day in office — now will use the threat of legal action as an excuse to kill it.
“This will potentially force the Trump administration to review its stance on this or have to defend something that they were originally in favor of rescinding themselves,” said Michael Jarecki, who practices law in Chicago and is part of the American Immigration Lawyers Association advocacy committee.
Trump has described DACA and DAPA as “President Obama’s two illegal executive amnesties.”
When these Republicans sue the federal government to end DACA as early as September 5th, it would require the Department of Justice led by Jeff Sessions to defend DACA in court in an attempt to save it. Considering Sessions, Trump, and others in the White House inner circle are against the DACA program, it seems improbable they would defend it and instead will let it die.
Sources:
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/29/texas-attorney-general-end-daca-dreamers-240121
http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/07/politics/daca-coming-storm/index.html
http://thehill.com/latino/345946-daca-deadline-looms-over-trump-administration