HARTFORD — The Trump administration today announced the termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program. The DACA program has served as a critical lifeline for nearly 800,000 young immigrants, or “Dreamers,” who came to this country as children and know the United States as their only home.
The following is a statement from David McGuire, executive director of the ACLU of Connecticut, reacting to the White House announcement rescinding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program:
“Five years ago, the federal government made a promise to immigrant youth: as long as you pass a criminal background check and meet other conditions, you get permission to live, study, and work here for renewable two-year periods. Hundreds of thousands of young people, including 8,000 here in Connecticut, came out of the shadows to accept the government’s offer in good faith and made plans for their American dreams. Today, the Trump administration broke America’s promise and injected chaos, uncertainty, and fear into the lives of hundreds of thousands of Dreamers and their families. Given that the United States government has repeatedly and successfully defended the legal validity of DACA, today’s news also amounts to a complete reversal of the United States’ own consistent legal positions.
Now, the fate of 800,000 young adults who call this country their home lies in the hands of Congress. Lawmakers must decide if they are on the side of Dreamers and our country’s foundation or on the side of the ugly forces that helped to end DACA.
Dreamers are our neighbors, colleagues, family members, and friends. We stand with Connecticut Students for a Dream and all Dreamers and their family members in our state. While this is a hard day for the immigrant community and America as a whole, we will continue to fight. The DACA program was the product of years of work from Dreamers. If they can be brave, so can we. It is up to all of us to show that no matter how hard the Trump administration works to send immigrants back into the shadows, the rest of us will fight for justice and equality.”
