Following news yesterday from Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly that the DACA program may be terminated as early as in September and that TPS programs for Haitians, Salvadorans, Hondrans and Nicaraguans may also end soon, United We DREAM issued this statement pledging to fight to keep these programs:
Yesterday, news broke that John Kelly, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security deflected responsibility for the fate of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program (DACA) and Temporary Protective Status (TPS) which, combined, protect over one million people from deportation.
In a meeting with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Kelly told Members of Congress that the fate of the DACA and TPS programs were in the hands of white nationalist Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Right wing state politicians have given the Trump Administration until September 5th to end the DACA program.
Greisa Martinez Rosas, United We Dream Advocacy Director and DACA beneficiary said,
“Today, United We Dream and the immigrant youth movement make a pledge to love and support one another as we enter into a fight for our very lives.
“We know that Jeff Sessions and Steve Bannon seek the power to destabilize and chase after communities of color in a disgusting blood sport. By killing DACA and TPS while giving billions more to deportation agents, they would create more undocumented people and then chase us down, lock us into for-profit detention camps and deport us. This racist game is immoral and wrong.
“Secretary John Kelly, Speaker Paul Ryan and other top officials cannot run away from this fact or escape responsibility.
“Immigrant youth won the DACA program by fearlessly stepping up, sharing our stories and leading with love. There is deep anxiety in immigrant communities today but also a fierce determination to win because this is our home and we are here to stay.”
