WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and 40 of their Democratic Senate colleagues today asked President Donald Trump to use his executive authority to the greatest extent possible to protect the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which provides temporary relief from deportation to immigrant students who arrived in the United States as children if they register with the government, pay a fee, and pass criminal and national-security background checks.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and nine other states have threatened to sue President Trump if he does not rescind the memorandum that established DACA and announce that his Administration will not renew or issue any new DACA permits.
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“Almost five years ago, I was honored to address thousands of Dreamers who lined up to apply for DACA at Navy Pier in Chicago.These young people grew up in this country and came out of the shadows voluntarily after our government promised not to deport them. We’ve since witnessed Dreamers graduate college, start businesses, and give back to their communities in a myriad of ways,” Durbin said. “But the most recent threat to the DACA program has left hundreds of thousands of Dreamers anxious and concerned about the future. I appreciate President Trump’s commitment to protect Dreamers and urge him to order his Attorney General to use all legal options to defend the DACA program so these young people can continue contributing to the country they love.”
“The DACA program has been a tremendous success: it has brought approximately 800,000 young people out of the shadows, and in turn, benefited the countless employers and universities who have embraced them,” said Schumer. “Dreamers embody everything that America should stand for – they are valedictorians, honor students, college graduates, engineers, soldiers, teachers, and the future of our nation. While the DACA program has allowed them to contribute fully to the only country they call home, their future is now uncertain. It is my sincere hope that the President and Attorney General uphold DACA.”
Approximately 790,000 immigrant students, commonly referred to as Dreamers, have come forward and received DACA, which has allowed them to contribute more fully to their country as teachers, nurses, engineers, and small business owners. According to the conservative CATO Institute, deporting DACA recipients would cost over $60 billion and would result in a $280 billion reduction in economic growth over the next decade. The nonpartisan Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy estimates that the 1.3 million young people enrolled in or eligible for DACA pay $2 billion each year in state and local taxes.
Full text of today’s letter is available here.
