Broad Reaction to the Loss of DACA

The Tuesday morning announcement by President Trump to end DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) triggered broad reactions from across the nation, including protests from coast to coast.  Here are some that the Vanguard has collected from Tuesday:

Davis Mayor Robb Davis:

“The Administration’s decision to end DACA provides a test of the commitment of Congress to do what is right. Will supporters of DACA from both parties come together to do the right thing and continue this program or will continued devotion to partisanship win out?

“This is a moral decision that will demonstrate what matters most. People’s lives could be forever altered–people who embody (any way you look at it) the values we all say are important: hard work, tenacity, sacrifice… Many hundreds of these live, work, and study in Davis–tightly woven into the fabric of who we, collectively, are.

“Will we get a bill that is human and people-centric or will meanness, exclusion, and moral vacuity win? We must push our leaders to accomplish what they have, to date, been unable to do: provide legislation that protects the status of these amazing young people. Then we can move on to the broader immigration reform that is needed.

“The nativist tendency in the Republican Party must be turned back and leaders within that party must have the courage to confront it.”

Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry:

“Today, President Trump continued his Administration’s aggressive attack on immigrants when he turned his back on 800,000 undocumented young people by terminating DACA,” said Aguiar-Curry.  “Rounding up law-abiding children will not make anyone safer.  DREAMers, who were brought to this country as young children, have done nothing to deserve the President’s attacks.  In most cases, these children have struggled to succeed, as Americans, in school, work, and in their communities.”

Congressman John Garamendi:

“There is no compassion in Trump’s position on #DACA. However, this fight is not over. Congress will now have six months to debate and vote on new policies affecting #DREAMers. I am calling on Congressional leadership to immediately schedule a vote on H.R. 3591, the American Hope Act, so our nation can continue to grow upon DACA’s successes.

“The American public overwhelmingly supports protecting the DREAMers, 200,000 of whom live in California. Leaders from both parties say they support the DREAMers, so there’s no excuse. Let’s work together to get this one right.”

UC Davis Chancellor Gary May:

“I am gravely disappointed in today’s White House decision to end a program that allows undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as small children to fulfill their dream of a college education without fear of deportation.

“Abandoning the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program runs counter to the University of California principles of open and equal access to higher education for students of all backgrounds.

“Turning our backs on these students is not who we are. At UC Davis, we open our doors to the world and give the best and brightest a chance to shine, no matter where they happened to be born.

“UC Davis is home to a dedicated community of DACA students from across the globe, including Latin America, China and the Philippines. Our AB 540 and Undocumented Student Center is a model of empowerment, opportunity and equity.

“These students — many of whom are the first in their families to attend a college — contribute to our rich diversity of cultures and perspectives that is integral to our success as a global university. They are paving a future for themselves and their families so they can give back to our society. UC Davis graduates who were protected from deportation under DACA have blossomed with careers in medicine, law, social work and much more.

“I stand firmly in support of these students and call on Congress to rise in defense of the DACA program to immediately pass bipartisan legislation that would provide a permanent solution for our students.

“Keep the American Dream alive, for all.”

Senator Kamala Harris:

“DACA recipients make our nation strong and represent the best of America. The President’s decision undermines our nation’s values and is a cruel betrayal to the more than 800,000 young people, including more than 200,000 Californians, who have only ever known the United States of America as their home.

“Dreamers are Americans in every way except a piece of paper. With this decision, President Trump is telling classmates of our children they don’t belong, employees of Fortune 100 companies they aren’t welcome, and saying to those who serve in our military and run small businesses that they should leave. These young people deserve better than that. They came out of the shadows and submitted every detail of their personal lives to prove that they were lawful, productive members of our society. By turning his back on our young Dreamers and their families, President Trump has once again sided with division and hate.

“The consequences of this decision will be devastating. It will split up families, force young people back to countries they never knew, and cost our economy billions of dollars. It is heartless.

“Now more than ever, it is time we roll up our sleeves and stand with these young people who contribute to our community and our economy. Republicans in Congress must immediately allow a vote on the DREAM Act, a bipartisan bill we introduced again this summer. We are better than this.”

Senator Dianne Feinstein:

“Congressional action is now the only way to guarantee that DACA recipients are shielded from deportation, and it must be our top priority. The DREAM Act—introduced by Senators Graham and Durbin to provide a path to citizenship for DACA recipients—deserves a vote as soon as possible.

“Failure to protect young people who have come out of the shadows would constitute an abject moral failure. DACA recipients registered with the government, had background checks and paid taxes. They provided extensive documentation about their lives and put their trust in the government. We can’t respond by penalizing them.

“DACA youth are the epitome of the American dream—95 percent are in school or working. Many came to our country as very young children, through no fault of their own. They’ve pursued their dreams, becoming doctors, engineers and teachers. They’re American in every way that matters, and we should welcome their contributions to our society.

“California is home to more DACA recipients than any other state, nearly 223,000. They’ve made incredible contributions, including to our vibrant tech industry, which spurred a letter of support from tech companies like Apple, Facebook, Google and Netflix.

“To DACA youth across the country, I say this is not over. I stand with you and your families. You are valued. Our country needs you. And I won’t stop fighting to protect you.”

Governor Jerry Brown:

“This six-month so-called reprieve does not change the Governor’s views – the Trump Administration’s action to end DACA is senseless and cruel. California has its eyes on Congress to do what it should have done years ago, but we cannot bank on that. So the Governor stands with Attorney General Becerra as he takes our fight to court to defend the Dreamers.”

Attorney General Xavier Becerra:

“President Trump has turned his back on hundreds of thousands of children and young Americans who came forward and put their trust in our government. But in terminating DACA, the Trump Administration has also violated the Constitution and federal law,” said Attorney General Becerra. “This Administration has chosen to ignore what American voters have said they think is right. Nearly 80 percent of voters want to protect the legal status of Dreamers. Ending the program is devastating not just for recipients, but for our economy. California businesses would lose more than a billion dollars in turnover costs. Attorney General Sessions claims this decision is full of ‘compassion,’ but real compassion would be treating Dreamers ‘with heart,’ as President Trump himself said. California is taking action because one in four DACA grantees live in our great state. I will do everything I can to fight for them.”

In July, Attorney General Becerra led 20 attorneys general in sending a letter  to President Trump urging him to maintain and defend DACA. In the letter, the attorneys general explain how DACA has benefited their states and the nation as a whole and call on Trump to fulfill his public commitment to Dreamers, whom he called “incredible kids” who should be treated “with heart.” Roughly a quarter of all DACA grantees, or more than 220,000 young people, live in California.

Jennie Pasquarella, Director of Immigrant Rights for the ACLU of California:

“Five years ago, the federal government made a deal with immigrant youth: as long as you meet certain criteria, you can live, study, and work here. Hundreds of thousands of young people came out of the shadows and accepted the government’s offer in good faith. They prospered and thrived as a result.

“Today, the Trump administration broke our government’s promise, upending the lives of 800,000 young immigrants and their families, and injecting uncertainty into thousands of homes, schools and workplaces across America.

“In California alone, more than 222,000 young immigrants use their DACA status to give back to this country in innumerable ways: they are our doctors, soldiers, teachers and students; our neighbors, family and friends.

“Now, the fate of DACA recipients in this nation lie in the hands of Congress. Lawmakers must decide if they are on the side of young people who are integral to this country’s future, or on the side of the racist forces motivating this President to end DACA.

“While this is a hard day for our diverse immigrant communities and this nation as a whole, we will continue to work toward the full recognition of these young people as belonging to this nation. Years of courage, sacrifice, and organizing won the DACA program in 2012. Nothing will deter these individuals – who are Americans in most respects – and their key allies in California and across the country, such as the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, Centro Legal de la Raza, Asian Law Caucus: Asian Americans Advancing Justice, and CARECEN from continuing to work on behalf of their futures and holding those responsible accountable.”

CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad:

“The American Muslim community and CAIR stand with the 800,000 undocumented young people who were brought to our nation as children, who call the United States home and whose only dream is to come out of the shadows and to stay where they belong.

“By terminating DACA, even with a six-month delay or ‘wind down,’ President Trump is pandering to the demands of anti-immigrant extremists and harming our nation by targeting some of the most dynamic and success-oriented members of society. In practical terms, the ‘delay’ in implementing the termination is meaningless for the vast majority of Dreamers and will inevitably result in chaos in their lives.

“These young Dreamers deserve the chance to work and study — and to be protected from deportation — while Congress debates broader legislation to fix our broken immigration system.

“President Trump’s heartless action will only serve to create fear and anxiety for the Dreamers and their loved ones, and will force them back to living in the shadows, rendering them unable to contribute to our nation’s economy.

“CAIR encourages state and local officials across the nation to enact policies prohibiting discrimination based on citizenship status and to offer sanctuary and support for Dreamers.

“American Muslims will continue to push for measures that protect undocumented youth and support comprehensive immigration reform – reform that includes a roadmap to citizenship for the nation’s 11 million undocumented residents.”