Issued July 28, 2020
WASHINGTON—SEIU International Executive Vice President Rocio Sáenz issued the following statement in response to the Trump’s administration’s new memo that significantly weakens the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and makes it clear that the administration intends to terminate the program sometime next year.
“It is shameful that instead of addressing the Coronavirus pandemic that continues to cripple our nation's health, the Trump administration is playing politics with the lives of young DACA recipients. Today’s memo makes it clear that Trump intends to end DACA as soon as he can get away with it, putting the lives of more than 600 thousand young people and their families at risk of deportation. Meanwhile, he is doing what he can to cut back on the program, making hundreds of thousands of new applicants ineligible -- many of whom came as infants and couldn’t apply earlier because they were too young -- and shortening the time before recipients need to reapply.
“This new policy is in complete opposition to the wishes of the vast majority of Americans, both Democrats and Republicans.
“These young immigrants deserve peace of mind during these uncertain and dangerous times, especially the large numbers of Dreamers who are on the frontlines of the Covid-19 response. Many are doctors, nurses, medical technicians, teachers risking their own health to save lives and help America recover from one of the deadliest pandemic to ever hit our country.
“We call on the U.S. Senate to take up and pass H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act, which will protect immigrant youth including people with Temporary Protected Status. We also call on the American people to protect dreamers once and for and take a stand against Trump’s racist, anti-Black, anti-immigrant views by voting him out this November.
“The time to protect immigrant families is now.”