The Alliance for a Better Community (ABC), a public policy and advocacy organization dedicated to the advancement of the Los Angeles Latino community, strongly opposes today’s announcement by the Trump administration to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and calls upon Congress to take immediate action to protect the more than 800,000 DREAMers from potential deportation and chart a pathway to permanent legal protection and comprehensive immigration reform.
DREAMers are an integral part of every community in our nation. As students, active military and veterans, college graduates and young professionals in every sector of our economy, DREAMers are a vital part of our national fabric. Coming to the United States as young children through no choice of their own, they have spent their entire lives pledging allegiance and demonstrating their commitment to American democratic ideals. They are as deserving of our protection and investment as any other American.
When President Obama implemented DACA through Executive Order, we urged qualifying individuals to apply and trust our government in return for a vow of protection. As one of the most vulnerable segments of our immigrant community, our would-be DREAMers, despite their fears of being torn apart from their families, communities and country placed their trust in America and continued to do their part to fulfill their American dreams and give back to this nation.
With over 110,000 DREAMers in Los Angeles alone, we cannot, we must not, turn a blind eye to the impact that this cruel and unnecessary act by President Trump will have on our local economy, our Latino community, our colleagues, and our families.
Congress must take immediate action to create permanent protection for DREAMers—their lives, our economy, and our country’s moral fabric depend on it. We strongly encourage everyone to call
your elected representatives and policy contacts and urge their support for
legislative action that will extend and make permanent DACA protections.