Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Defends DACA Program

Washington D.C. – Today, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01), released the following statement as President Trump considers terminating the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which provides young men and women who were brought to America as children the opportunity to work and go to school in the United States.

This purely political move by the president would have disastrous impacts on our economy, devastate families and do nothing to secure our borders or fix our broken immigration system.

"Any attempt by the President to end DACA would be a betrayal to a group of young people who are the living embodiment of American values. This administration has continuously attacked and vilified immigrants and ending DACA would be another cruel attack on our community.

"The creation of DACA five years ago has allowed eligible young people the opportunity to come forward, pass a background check and pay a fee to live and work in America. DACA has been transformative to the lives of hundreds of thousands of young people and has resulted in economic gains for cities, states, and our nation as a whole. Terminating this critical program would force hundreds of thousands of young people out of the workforce, uproot their lives and the lives of their families, disrupt businesses, and devastate the economies of most states.

"The President's decision to terminate DACA would send a chilling message to our immigrant community and runs counter to our values as a nation. The vast majority of Americans, regardless of their political affiliation, overwhelmingly support giving these young people an opportunity to achieve the American Dream. I along with my Congressional colleagues and millions of Americans urge President Trump to do the right thing and protect and defend DACA.

###