Jackson Free Press

WASHINGTON — The White House announced today that it is rescinding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Lorella Praeli, director of immigration policy and campaigns at the American Civil Liberties Union, said:

"Today is a cruel day for Dreamers, our families, and all Americans. President Trump's decision to end DACA is a manufactured crisis in response to an artificial deadline from anti-immigrant leaders.

"There is no humane way to end DACA before having a permanent legislative fix in place. President Trump just threw the lives and futures of 800,000 Dreamers and their families, including my own, into fearful disarray, and injected chaos and uncertainty into thousands of workplaces and communities across America. He is using the lives of 800,000 people as pawns.

"But nothing has changed about Dreamers' proven capabilities and the need to provide these young people with a chance to fully contribute to America. We have 800,000 examples of how DACA strengthened America, including my sister Maria, a graduate of Quinnipiac University, an immigration activist, and a DACA-recipient.

"President Trump's announcement today underscores the urgency to pass clean, standalone, and bipartisan legislation addressing Dreamers' renewed vulnerability to deportation. There is enough support to pass a clean and bipartisan Dream Act in the House and Senate. Members of Congress must choose a side: either you stand with Dreamers and our country's foundation or you are siding with the ugly forces that ended the DACA program and are complicit in any deportation of Dreamers from the country they call home.

"As my family's lives and futures are thrown into turmoil, I remind myself of our community's resilience. Years of courage, sacrifices, and organizing won the DACA program in 2012. Now, nothing will deter these Americans and their allies from continuing to fight on behalf of their families and futures. We'll hold President Trump accountable and others who have made today a dark day in our nation's history."

This statement is available here.

Read JFP's stories about the immigration debate in Mississippi at jfp.ms/immigration.