CAPAC Immigration Leaders on Texas v. United States Ruling
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Chair Rep. Judy Chu and CAPAC Immigration Task Force Chair Rep. Mike Honda spoke with key Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) press and community leaders to discuss the effect of the State of Texas v. United States preliminary ruling on the expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) program. Rep. Chu and Rep. Honda released the following statements:
Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27), CAPAC Chair:
“While I am deeply disappointed by the court decision in Texas, this is just a temporary setback. The President’s immigration actions are legally sound and morally right. In fact, every president since Eisenhower—regardless of political party—has used their executive authority to set priorities in immigration enforcement.
“CAPAC's message to the AAPI community is clear: we will not give up. We will not let this hateful lawsuit deter millions of aspiring Americans from preparing to apply to the expanded DACA and DAPA programs once this case is resolved. This includes the nearly 400,000 Asians and Pacific Islanders who stand to benefit from these programs.
“Our future is, as it has always been, in fixing our broken immigration system so that all who contribute to our country will continue to have a shot at the American dream. Along with my colleagues in CAPAC, I will continue to fight until the executive action on immigration becomes a reality.”
Congressman Mike Honda (CA-17), CAPAC Immigration Task Force Chair:
“I strongly disagree with the ruling by a Texas judge that will temporarily delay the implementation of President Obama’s executive action on immigration. But this temporary setback will not stop us from getting families ready for DACA and DAPA. We must continue the work of educating families and individuals in our communities, and make sure those who are eligible will apply immediately when the time comes.
“DACA and DAPA will help thousands of members of the AAPI community come out of the shadows and become full members of our society. This is the right thing for us to do from both a humanitarian and economic standpoint. I stand behind the President and look forward to the day that we have full comprehensive immigration reform.”
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BOSTON - Immigrant community representatives, advocates, city officials, union members, mainstream and ethnic media, and many others came together today for a press conference led by the New England Keeping Families Together Coalition at the Irish International Immigrant Center. The purpose was to express their determination to support the implementation of the expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred Action for Parental Accountability Programs, as well as the President’s executive action announced on November 20, 2014.
On Monday, District Court Judge Andrew S. Hanen in Brownsville, Texas, issued a preliminary injunction that temporarily blocks the implementation process of the immigrant deferred action programs. The ruling temporarily pushes back the start date for millions of immigrants workers to come forward, register, and apply for work permits, planned to begin as soon as February 18, 2015 for the portion of the program that would provide relief to immigrants brought here as children, known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). The larger program, Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA), provides temporary relief for parents with U.S. citizen or permanent resident children and was scheduled to begin in May.
“We stand in solidarity with hundreds of thousands of young immigrants and immigrant mothers and fathers, across this city, across the state, and across the country,” said Ronnie Millar, Executive Director, Irish International Immigrant Center, which hosted the press conference--originally planned to celebrate the beginning of expanded DACA implementation. Eva Millona, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA), who emceed the press conference, declared that “this is just political theater to block implementation, and create fear and confusion. We are here to emphasize this is only temporary.” Advocates have encouraged the Department of Justice to file for an emergency stay with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Millona noted, expressing confidence that the appeals court will overturn Judge Hanen’s ruling. "Our message to the community is to stay calm and get prepared.”
Jeannie Kain, New England Chapter Chair of American Immigration Lawyers Association, emphasized that President Obama, like many presidents before him, was well within his legal authority in taking this executive action. “This is just a temporary setback,” she said, stressing the political nature of the decision to bring the case before Judge Hanen because of his previous decisions on executive action. The Department of Justice has declared that it will appeal the injunction to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in Texas today. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security will not begin accepting requests for the expansion of DACA. Renata Teodoro, Lead Coordinator for the Student Immigrant Movement, also stressed the importance of allies working together to fight for the executive order as well as larger reform goals.
“Although we are disappointed, we are not deterred,” said Alejandra St. Guillen, Executive Director of the Office of New Bostonians, who reminded listeners to keep their focus on those most directly impacted by the court’s action. She stressed Mayor Walsh’s support for this issue and for Boston’s immigrant communities in general. Boston’s Police Commissioner William Evans was a co-signer of the amicus brief submitted to the Texas District Court, at the direction of the Mayor. The City of Boston has a DACA/DAPA hotline, (617) 635-4141, from 10am to 3pm Monday through Friday, and will hold an Information Clinic at City Hall on Thursday, February 26, from 4-8pm.
Immigrant community members also offered their personal testimony to the hopes and opportunity created by the President’s executive action, and the pain and challenges created by the recent court decision. “This is my country,” declared Zoila Lopez of Waltham, who fled dangerous conditions in her home country of Guatemala, and who has lived in the U.S. for 25 years, raising seven children—the oldest now an engineering student at UMass Lowell. She worked in restaurants, cleaning houses, and baby-sitting, sometimes as many as three jobs at once, to provide opportunity for her family. “I was so happy for this chance to have a better job, a driver’s license, and not be in the dark,” she said, near tears “I hope we can fight and have the opportunity to be here legally. I am here because I want to work hard and be a help to this country and the people in my community,” declared Lopes, who volunteers with REACH Beyond Domestic Violence’s Latinas Know Your Rights in Waltham. “A lot of families are waiting for this dream to come true. I told them, you have to keep fighting, and we will reach victory. These people have to be for at least minute in our shoes, and how we feel being here and doing our best for this country.” Lourdes Hernandez, from the Dominican Development Center, read testimony from her sister Nancy Mota, who came to the US with her two sons from the Dominican Republic 10 years ago, and now has a U.S. born son who struggles with autism.
Roxanna Rivera, Vice President of 32BJ SEIU District 615 gave the closing remarks, charging the audience to look both to the future of the executive order and the larger goals of immigration reform “We need to make our voice heard as a strong voting bloc in the 2016 elections—not just to protect what we’ve already won, but fight for more. We will continue to work together, focusing on our goal to have immigrant families recognized for the contributions they have made to this state and this country.”
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