ACLU Arkansas Statement on Termination of DACA

Little Rock — The Trump administration today announced the termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program. The DACA program has served as a critical lifeline for nearly 800,000 young immigrants, or “Dreamers,” who were brought to this country as children and know the United States as their only home.

The following is a statement from Rita Sklar, ACLU of Arkansas Executive Director, reacting to the announcement rescinding DACA:

“Five years ago, the federal government made a promise to young immigrants who were brought to the country as children: as long as you pass a criminal background check you can live, study, and work here. Hundreds of thousands of young people, including more than 5,000 here in Arkansas, came out of the shadows, built their lives and trusted the government to hold up its end of the bargain.

“Today, in a cruel and shameful breach of trust, the government and President Trump, egged on by our own Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, went back on their word and put the futures of 800,000 Dreamers at risk.

“Now the fate of 800,000 young adults lies in the hands of Congress. Congress must pass the DREAM Act to provide these hardworking young people the protections they deserve.

“To every young Dreamer affected by this decision, we are not giving up. While this is a hard day for the immigrant community and America as a whole, we will keep fighting. Nothing will deter these Americans and our allies in Arkansas and across the country from continuing to fight for their right to live and work in the only country they’ve ever called home.”

This statement is online here: https://www.acluarkansas.org/en/press-releases/aclu-arkansas-statement-termination-daca