Under DACA, almost 700,000 people, who came the U.S. as children were able to apply for and receive work permits and protection from deportation. Allowing the Trump administration to end DACA would have caused 700,000 DACAmented people and their families to not only face the threat we all experience during this pandemic but also the imminent threat of deportation, unemployment that could mean financial instability and a lack of access to health care and treatment, and education interruption or termination, all while they also care for their loved ones and serve our communities. This pandemic has shown us that our health and future depend on the health and well-being of our neighbor. We can only get through these challenges together, in community, through caring for each other.
While we celebrate this Supreme Court decision, we know DACA itself is still at risk. As an executive order, it is subject to attacks from sitting U.S. presidents at any time, and our DACAmented siblings will not be safe until our laws are reformed to respect their dignity, safeguard their families, and uphold the image of God in every human in our country.
Even as we celebrate today, Sojourners is calling on Congress to pass legislation that provides legal status and a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients without increasing funding for cruel and ineffective detention and deportation practices that harm other undocumented communities. A majority of Americans support legislation to give DACA and TPS recipients permanent protection. It is time for Congress to act upon the wishes of the citizens they represent and give DACAmented people and their families permanent solutions that allow them to live safely in the country that is their home.
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