New York, NY-Today marks the ninth anniversary of President Barack Obama's historic Rose Garden speech announcing the creation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The DACA program allowed hundreds of thousands of young people to come out of the shadows and apply for work authorization and protection from deportation for recurring two-year periods.
Despite the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) striking down President Trump’s attempt to rescind the DACA program, threats to the Dreamers remain. This summer, Judge Andrew Hanen of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas will rule on Texas v Nielsen, which seeks an aggressive and swift end to DACA. The NYIC is joining its national partners in demanding the immediate passage of the Dream and Promise Act to finally provide a sense of security for Dreamers and their families by putting them on a road to citizenship.
Murad Awawdeh, Executive Director of the New York Immigration Coalition:
“The ninth anniversary of the announcement of the DACA program comes as many Dreamers anxiously await a federal court ruling which could rip them from their families, communities and the only place they have ever called home. While their futures remain in balance, hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients are serving on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic as nurses, doctors, teachers, and more. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and President Joe Biden must not allow a far-right Federal judge to play politics with these young people’s lives any longer. We call on the Senate to immediately take up and pass the Dream and Promise Act, to finally provide Dreamers with the security and stability they need and deserve. But, extending protections for DACA recipients is not enough—we demand a road to citizenship for DACA recipients, DREAM Act eligible youth, TPS recipients and their families, and essential workers.”
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