ACLU Statement on USCIS Decision to Reject DACA Applications

WASHINGTON — United States Citizenship and Immigration Services announced this morning that it would reject all new applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The program, which currently provides legal status to more than 700,000 people who were brought to the U.S. as children, was upheld by the Supreme Court in June.

Andrea Flores, deputy director of immigration policy at the ACLU, issued the following statement:

“Today’s decision is exactly what we can expect from a Trump presidency: relentless, costly, and unbelievably cruel attacks on our immigrant communities. The DACA program was created to provide deportation relief and work authorization to the more than 700,000 young people who have only known the U.S. as their home. The Trump administration believes it can distract from its failure to save hundreds of thousands of lives from COVID-19 by once again launching an attack on immigrants. We have news for Trump: DACA recipients — those with current status, as well as those who qualify but will now be denied it — are American. This is their home. We will keep fighting to ensure young people who were brought here as children have hope for the future. Their hope is our hope, too.”