Trump to phase out DACA, reaction to the decision

President Donald Trump has decided to phase out a program that shields from deportation some young immigrations brought to the country without legal papers.

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program also made it possible for DREAMers to work legally in the United States.

The president's decision was announced by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who called the DACA program an "unconstitutional exercise of authority by the executive branch." DACA is an Obama-era program.

Sessions said the Trump administration wants Congress to find other ways to protect young immigrants.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, issued a statement echoing the administration's position. Ryan stated, “However well-intentioned, President Obama’s DACA program was a clear abuse of executive authority, an attempt to create law out of thin air. Just as the courts have already struck down similar Obama policy, this was never a viable long-term solution to this challenge. Congress writes laws, not the president, and ending this program fulfills a promise that President Trump made to restore the proper role of the executive and legislative branches."

Ryan continued, "But now there is more to do, and the president has called on Congress to act. The president’s announcement does not revoke permits immediately, and it is important that those affected have clarity on how this interim period will be carried out. At the heart of this issue are young people who came to this country through no fault of their own, and for many of them it’s the only country they know. Their status is one of many immigration issues, such as border security and interior enforcement, which Congress has failed to adequately address over the years. It is my hope that the House and Senate, with the president’s leadership, will be able to find consensus on a permanent legislative solution that includes ensuring that those who have done nothing wrong can still contribute as a valued part of this great country.”

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More reaction…

Lorella Praeli, director of immigration policy and campaigns at the American Civil Liberties Union: “Today is a cruel day for Dreamers, our families and all Americans. President Trump’s decision to end DACA is a manufactured crisis in response to an artificial deadline from anti-immigrant leaders.

"There is no humane way to end DACA before having a permanent legislative fix in place. President Trump just threw the lives and futures of 800,000 Dreamers and their families, including my own, into fearful disarray, and injected chaos and uncertainty into thousands of workplaces and communities across America. He is using the lives of 800,000 people as pawns.

“But nothing has changed about Dreamers’ proven capabilities and the need to provide these young people with a chance to fully contribute to America. We have 800,000 examples of how DACA strengthened America, including my sister Maria, a graduate of Quinnipiac University, an immigration activist and a DACA-recipient.

"President Trump’s announcement today underscores the urgency to pass clean, standalone, and bipartisan legislation addressing Dreamers’ renewed vulnerability to deportation. There is enough support to pass a clean and bipartisan Dream Act in the House and Senate. Members of Congress must choose a side: either you stand with Dreamers and our country’s foundation or you are siding with the ugly forces that ended the DACA program and are complicit in any deportation of Dreamers from the country they call home.

“As my family’s lives and futures are thrown into turmoil, I remind myself of our community’s resilience. Years of courage, sacrifices, and organizing won the DACA program in 2012. Now, nothing will deter these Americans and their allies from continuing to fight on behalf of their families and futures. We’ll hold President Trump accountable and others who have made today a dark day in our nation’s history.”

Rea Carey, executive director of the National LGBTQ Task Force: “The Task Force strongly condemns President Trump’s action to end the dreams of 800,000 young immigrants through his decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. This decision is not only unconscionable, it flies in the face of wide bipartisan support as well as the backing of business leaders, educators, and millions of Americans who fully support DACA and all that it represents for American immigrants.

As a reality TV star, Trump purported to make people’s dreams come true. As president, he seems intent only on crushing the dreams of hundreds of thousands of young people and hurting families who want to remain in the U.S., obtain work permits and contribute to the diversity that does, in fact, make this country great.

"The Task Force urges Members of Congress to address this heinous action by passing a clean DREAM Act. That would fulfill the promise made to Dreamers to be able to stay in the U.S. and move forward with their lives.

"Trump’s actions only strengthen our resolve to continue our work to ensure that immigrants are able to continue to contribute their talents and skills in this country. The president’s continued and un-American assault on immigrants is only doing damage to families, businesses, and our reputation around the world. The Task Force has long prioritized immigrant rights in our work, as a strong LGBTQ voice on the broad range of issues affecting immigrants, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to Dreamers.

"Shame on you, President Trump, for your immoral action and continued attacks on immigrants."

Jim Dean, chair, Democracy for America: "Donald Trump may think he can hide behind legalistic moralizing and briefly kicking the fate of DACA to Congress, but he can't conceal his pursuit of an amoral, bigoted agenda, no matter how cowardly he does it.

"Two weeks ago, we saw Donald Trump side with Nazis after the horrors of Charlottesville and pardon a former Arizona sheriff who ran a self-described segregated 'concentration camp' for undocumented immigrants. Today, the Trump administration begins its efforts to end DACA and destroy the lives of 800,000 hardworking young people who were brought to this country as children.  Simply put, Donald Trump is governing like a white supremacist.

"To those who spent the last week publicly wringing their hands about the president's impending destruction of DACA, especially those in Congress, it's time to put up or shut up. Are you going to stand with the white supremacist in the White House who attacks young, primarily black and brown people who've done nothing wrong?  Or are you going to stand with the overwhelming majority of Americans who support the DACA program and take action to defend it?

"DFA stands in solidarity with the Dreamers and all immigrants and refugees, all loved and valued parts of our community, targeted by the Trump administration. We will not stand by quietly while the president and his party tear apart our families, target our friends and destroy our communities.  We expect our elected leaders to join us in fighting back against this attack on DACA and clearly respond with action to the white supremacist governance streaming out of the White House.  With the lives of hundreds of thousands on the line, pointed tweets and artful press statements with empty platitudes and words of concern aren’t enough."

Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD: “President Trump’s choice to dismantle DACA is an attack on about 800,000 DREAMers, their families and their communities, and will expose them to racial targeting by ICE and deportation to a place that they have never called home in the first place. Along with his Muslim ban and pardon of Joe Arpaio, this cruel act is a trifecta of President Trump’s full embrace to the violent, out-of-touch ideology of white supremacists. The LGBTQ community stands with fair-minded Americans in demanding that hardworking and patriotic DREAMers be allowed access to the American Dream."

Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America: “No one’s health should be compromised because of their immigration status. President Trump’s decision to rescind DACA will rip millions of families apart and do irreparable harm to communities that already face discrimination and barriers to accessing health care in this country. We will not silently stand by as DREAMers and DACA recipients, many of whom are part of the Planned Parenthood community and rely on Planned Parenthood for health care, are stripped of their rights and protections. We at Planned Parenthood will continue to see patients regardless of who they are or where they’re from – no matter what."