Today, President Trump confirmed all the rumors and put an end to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, which shields young undocumented immigrants from deportation.
Trump called on Congress to replace the Obama-era executive action policy with legislation before March 5, 2018, its expiry date. Attorney General Jeff Sessions formally announced the move to shift the responsibility for the immigration issue to lawmakers.
Administration officials announced that The United States government will no longer accept new DACA applications. When questioned about current program beneficiaries, officials said that about 800,000 of them will not be immediately affected by by what they called an “orderly wind down.”
Elaine Duke, the acting Homeland Security secretary, said in a statement that Mr. Trump chose to “wind the program down in an orderly fashion that protects beneficiaries in the near-term while working with Congress to pass legislation.”
Officials also stated that some of the current immigrants already receiving protection under DACA will be able to renew their two-year period of legal status until October 5. But this White House announcement means that if Congress fails to act on it, undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children could face deportation as early as March, many to countries where they have never lived.
President Trump was conflicted all the way to the end on how to act on DACA and address the Dreamers, but he finally settled on washing his hands and passing the issue off to Congress.
Congress, get ready to do your job – DACA!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2017
Both Democrats and Republicans have expressed their discontent and denounced the President, Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Trump made an “unacceptable reversal of the promises and opportunities that have been conferred to these individuals.”
New York Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer he and fellow Democrats “will do everything we can to prevent President Trump’s terribly wrong order from becoming reality.”
Of course, Trump’s decision was met with condemnation from immigration advocacy groups, who called it a coldhearted move that would not benefit the nation, and will endanger nearly a million young people raised in the United States who are just seeking to work and pay taxes.
The debate has become even more intense in the past week when 10 State Attorney Generals threatened to legally challenge DACA unless the program was phased out before September 5. It seems that the President caved in to the pressure.
Trump’s decision is also likely to face legal challenges from state governments. The Democratic Attorney Generals for 19 states and the District of Columbia urged Trump to keep the program and could take him to court over it.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he launch a lawsuit to protect Dreamers if Trump trashes the program. Trump’s decision also kicked off immediate protests in Washington and New York City.