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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Joseph Rendeiro
(202) 776-1566
jrendeiro@nclr.org
Two years ago today, the Obama administration began implementation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, an initiative to grant temporary relief to undocumented youth who have grown up in the United States. Despite ongoing attacks from anti-immigrant extremists, the program—which has approved more than half a million applicants on a case-by-case basis—retains the support of the majority of Americans.
“Over the past two years, DACA has had resounding success, enabling hundreds of thousands of DREAMers to continue pursuing their educational and professional ambitions without the fear of deportation,” said Janet Murguía, President and CEO of NCLR (National Council of La Raza). “For these hardworking young people who have grown up in the United States, attending school and working in this country, DACA has kept the promise of the American Dream alive and has allowed our nation to fully benefit from their talents and contributions.”
“When the president chose to use his executive authority two years ago, it was in the face of obstinacy from lawmakers in Congress who refused to pass the DREAM Act,” Murguía continued. “As the recent shameful set of votes in the House of Representatives indicates, we are again at a similar impasse on Capitol Hill, with these same lawmakers now digging in their heels as opposed to working toward a solution to fix our broken immigration system. Now more than ever, we need President Obama to exercise a legitimate use of his executive authority to expand relief and limit senseless deportations in order to keep hardworking aspiring Americans together with their families.”
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