Jacob Ogles
Immigrant advocates celebrated a Supreme Court ruling saying the Donald Trump administration could not repeal DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) protections.
FWD.us, a bipartisan group supporting comprehensive immigration reform, heralded the decision. The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the administration couldn’t repeal the Barack Obama-era protections.
“The Court’s decision today is a major victory for DACA recipients, their families and communities, and basic standards of justice, fairness and what our country can be in its best moments. This ruling was only possible because of the courage and resiliency of hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients who bravely stood up and refused to be ignored,” said. Todd Schulte, president of FWD.us.
He said the ruling is especially important at a time when race relations are the subject of intense political discussion.
“It is a decision we will fight to protect. At a time when our nation is directly confronting its long history of targeting Black people and when communities across America are actively fighting over an affirmative vision of who gets to survive and thrive in America. 700,000 DACA recipients across the country have been facing extreme, unprecedented challenges, far beyond their current day-to-day hardships. After more than two years of forcing DACA recipients to live in limbo in order to use them as bargaining chips, the Trump Administration must commit to leaving DACA in place, immediately extend all current renewals that expire within the year and finally support the Dream and Promise Act that passed the House last year.”
The future of DACA recipients, commonly called Dreamers, has been a subject of discussion in Florida as well. FWD.us released a study earlier this year predicting Florida would lose 22,330 jobs over the next years if DACA was allowed to be repealed.
The possibility also loomed over E-Verify discussions this year, as DACA recipients are publicly known and could potentially open families up to targeted complaints and immigration status checks.
FWD.us also released a lengthy statement from DACA recipients working with the organization on preserving protections.
“For decades, millions of young people like us who came to the United States as children have fought tirelessly to be fully acknowledged as human beings in the only country we know as home. The Court’s decision today is a major victory for DACA recipients, our families, and communities — and it is one that we will continue to fight to keep in place. The road to victory was paved by the fearlessness of the thousands of undocumented leaders who came before us, and is only able to happen because of the labor and leadership of Black organizers who for generations championed racial justice, civil rights, and continue their fight to defend Black lives today,” the statement reads.
“The nation’s highest court resoundingly rejected the Trump Administration’s effort to end DACA today while affirming what we have always known to be true: that our home is here. While DACA was never a perfect solution, it has been transformative for many of us, providing an opportunity to live less fearfully, come out of the shadows, and to contribute more fully to our families and our communities. In the midst of our badly broken and inhumane immigration system, DACA has been a lifeline.”
Schulte stressed the court victory marked only a first step toward comprehensive reform.
“The joy of today’s victory does not cloud the difficult road ahead because we know that much work remains to be done,” he said. “We are deeply grateful for the years of advocacy, led by DACA recipients and Dreamers across the country, that brought us to this moment, and FWD.us will continue to take every action possible to protect these incredible young people,” he said.
“We urge the Senate to take up the Dream and Promise Act immediately, which would finally provide Dreamers with permanent legislative protections. And as this fight continues within a national moment of reckoning we will continue to join the rallying cry, growing louder and more organized every day, that Black lives must be valued and protected. We remain hopeful that together we will achieve the freedom, liberty, and justice that our nation has failed to deliver for far too many, for far too long.”
