The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and a District Court have now found the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) unlawful. While we respect the rule of law and await further legal action, Congress continues to have the power to legislate protections for the children and teens brought to the country by their parents.
LCF Georgia calls on legislators to act now to end the decade-long limbo and legal battles by enacting just immigration laws that would allow these individuals to continue their lives in what is home here in the US.
if a court decides to end the DACA policy, including barring renewals, DACA recipients will immediately begin losing their deportation protections and their ability to work. An average of 5,000 DACA recipients will lose their protections each and every week for the next two years if renewals are halted—that’s 1,000 jobs lost, and 1,000 U.S. citizens whose family members will be exposed to deportation, each and every business day.
The DACA program is the result of the failure of Congress to act. It was meant to afford temporary deportation protections to children susceptible to punishment for their parents’ actions. Although the policy was not perfect, it did allow these kids to continue their education and reach their teens and young adulthood, start and build families, businesses and get jobs, pay taxes and contribute to the only country they know. Unfortunately, because the policy was an executive order it could potentially be undone by other Executive Orders or be challenged as to its legality, which is where we are today.
The well-being of children transcends political parties. Wherever an individual’s policy stands regarding immigration, we can concur that blocking DACA recipients from legal residence and subjecting them to deportation away from the only home they have ever known is inhumane and anti-American. Our country welcomes people from around the world; DACAmented individuals have been raised and educated here, work in our communities, serve in the US military, and raise families here in their homes. It is time for Congress to act and for voters to demand just immigration laws from elected officials.
We at LCF Georgia are issuing the following recommendations for DACAmented individuals and allies:
Call your Members of Congress and urge them to pass a permanent legislative solution this year.
Renewals are still being accepted – so it’s imperative that eligible DACA recipients get their renewals in as soon as possible. And it’s essential that USCIS process these renewals as quickly as possible.
LCF Georgia is committed to continue fighting and advocating for DACA recipients until a permanent solution is in place. We have opened our financial assistance request form for DACA renewals only, If you know someone in need, please direct them to this link: lcfga.info/dacasupport2021
If you are interested in contributing, you can donate here marking “DACA Assistance” as the designated fund.
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