Four years ago today, President Obama announced Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA), which provides temporary deportation relief and allows young immigrant children (DREAMers) to apply for work permits. Because of DACA, over 728,000 hardworking and law abiding DREAMers have been able to contribute to the only country they know and love.
House Republicans have stopped at nothing in their attempt to dismantle this important program, including voting in 2014 to end DACA. Further, House Republicans have gone out of their way to punish young immigrants by voting to deny DREAMers the right to obtain citizenship through military service to our country.
And as the Supreme Court is expected to rule on a case regarding extended DACA and DAPA (Deferred Action for Parents of Americans) this month, it is a reminder that Speaker Paul Ryan forced the House to take a nearly unprecedented vote to send an amicus brief to the Supreme Court against DACA and DAPA and in favor of mass deportations.
“Four years ago, DACA changed the lives of so many hardworking young immigrants and that’s why this program is so important to the Latino community,” said Javier Gamboa of the DCCC. “Long before Donald Trump became the face of the Republican Party, House Republicans showed they are on the wrong side of history by trying to end this program, and today’s anniversary is yet another reminder to the Latino community that House Republicans do not have our backs.”