Asian Americans Advancing Justice Responds to District Court Ruling Against DACA
Congress Must Get Its Act Together and Pass Permanent Protections for Immigrant Youth
WASHINGTON, D.C. –
Yesterday evening, Judge Andrew Hanen of the Southern District of Texas ruled
against the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in Texas v.
United States. As this court case goes through appeals, current DACA recipients
are still protected—with their status and ability to work still intact—and can
continue to renew their DACA.
Asian Americans
Advancing Justice, an affiliation of five independent civil rights
organizations, responds with the following statement:
“While expecting this ruling, Asian
Americans Advancing Justice is appalled by the relentless attacks on DACA and
the callousness shown for the lives and futures of DACA holders, immigrant
youth, and families across the country.
“For too long, hundreds of thousands
of people with DACA have been forced to live with uncertainty as the program
endures such attacks, while millions of other undocumented community members
without access to these protections are stuck in an unending limbo. This is a
direct result of Congressional inaction and failure to deliver permanent
protections for our communities.
“Of the 1.7 million undocumented Asian
Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States today, over 14,000 Asian
Americans and more than 150 Pacific Islander youth are currently protected by
DACA. If DACA were to end, these community members—who have long called the
United States home alongside millions of others—face the loss of their jobs and
ability to care for their families as well as the threat of deportation and
separation from their loved ones.
“But the fight is not over, and we
continue to call on our elected officials to ensure the safety and livelihoods
of our communities. While our moral compass should ultimately guide our
immigration policies, the significance of a permanent solution for DACA holders
and undocumented people on the economy, workforce, and fabric of America must
also be understood by our country’s leaders. Congress must act now before it is
too late.
“In the meantime, neither this order
nor the accompanying supplemental injunction requires the Department of
Homeland Security or the Department of Justice to take any immigration,
deportation, or criminal action against any DACA recipient, applicant, or any
other individual that would otherwise not be taken. DACA holders continue to
maintain their status and can continue to renew their DACA and work
authorization as this fight continues.”
沒有留言:
發佈留言