By Devin Dubon
People are still reeling after President Donald Trump’s decision to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA. This decision was announced on Tuesday, September 5th by Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
AG Sessions officially announces that DACA program "is being rescinded." pic.twitter.com/0AoBimpRC3
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) September 5, 2017
DACA was a policy enacted by President Obama in June 2012 via executive order. It allowed people who arrived in America and were born before 2007 to apply for a work or school permit so they can stay.
Obama issued the executive order after Congress failed to pass the DREAM Act several
times. The DREAM Act was a bipartisan supported bill introduced in the Senate four separate times that introduced a program very similar to DACA. The main difference between these are that the DREAM Act allowed recipients to seek permanent residence after having completed either two years of college or served two years in the military.
Obama’s decision to introduce the program by an executive order was the main reason
provided by Sessions for rescinding DACA, stating that he “circumvented legislation” by doing this and it was unconstitutional, citing a split Supreme Court decision last year regarding an extended DACA program. Sessions also stated that the program denies jobs from American citizens, and led to an “influx on the Southern border”.
President Trump’s decision means that Congress now has six months to come up with an
alternative to DACA or it will be repealed. In the meantime, according to the Trump
administration, the current recipients will not be affected until the end of the six months.
Congress now has 6 months to legalize DACA (something the Obama Administration was unable to do). If they can't, I will revisit this issue!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 6, 2017
For all of those (DACA) that are concerned about your status during the 6 month period, you have nothing to worry about – No action!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 7, 2017
However, nobody knows what will happen if Congress cannot come to a consensus in the
given time period. Students and workers who rely on DACA are worried about being deported to countries they are completely foreign to.
Many notable figures, companies, and civil rights groups are speaking up about this decision, calling it cruel and wrong. 15 states (so far) are even threatening to sue the
administration and protests have been held throughout the nation.
https://twitter.com/LeahYared/status/905900335729922048
The 15 states suing Trump administration over DACA's end:
NY
Mass.
Wash.
Conn.
Del.
Hawaii
Ill.
Iowa
NM
NC
Ore.
Pa.
RI
Vt.
Va.
and D.C.— NPR (@NPR) September 6, 2017
To target hopeful young strivers who grew up here is wrong, because they’ve done nothing wrong. My statement: https://t.co/TCxZdld7L4
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) September 5, 2017
Now, people are waiting with bated breaths to see what, if any, decision Congress will
come to and what will be the fate of the young DREAMers whose ways of life are being
threatened.
