15 JUN 2022
On 10th Anniversary of DACA, Immigration Hub Celebrates the Program’s Impact and Call on Congress to Deliver Lasting Protections for Dreamers and Undocumented Families
WASHINGTON, DC - June 15th marks the 10th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The decades-old immigration initiative, granted by former President Barack Obama and fought for by undocumented youth and advocates across the country, has improved the lives of Dreamers, allowing hundreds of thousands to attain higher education, serve their country and contribute to our local economies and communities. Today, as President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and other Democratic members of Congress commemorate the anniversary with DACA recipients and undocumented youth, the occasion also underscores the need to deliver legislative action providing Dreamers, their families and undocumented immigrants in the U.S. a path to citizenship.
The DACA program has protected more than 830,000 young people from deportation, allowing them to work, study, and participate in American society at large. During the pandemic, more than three-quarters of DACA recipients— 343,000— made up the country’s essential workforce. The American public has long supported a path to citizenship for Dreamers despite efforts by Republican elected officials to end the program and block legislative reform.
Sergio Gonzales, Executive Director of the Immigration Hub, issued the following statement:
“In 2012, the DACA program was a historic victory for immigrant youth who relentlessly organized and demanded that they be recognized as the Americans they have always been to our nation. Now, a decade later - after immigrant essential workers helped us survive the pandemic - no one can ignore the valuable role and contributions of DACA recipients. The program has allowed immigrant youth to have temporary reprieve from deportation to reach their dreams, step up during our time of need, and show their fellow Americans that they are every bit a part of our society, its culture and future.
“We applaud the President, Vice President, First Lady Dr. Biden, and the Democratic Caucus for celebrating DACA recipients and undocumented youth today. We urge them to continue to use their voices to uplift DACA stories, and use every tool at their disposal to ensure lasting protections for Dreamers and their families. Vice President Harris, who has long been a champion on this issue, once said, ‘Dreamers represent the best of who we are as a nation.’ We agree.
“This is why it is so appalling that right-wing politicians have repeatedly played politics with DACA, attempting to revoke it in the previous administration and using the courts to upend the lives of thousands. Dreamers have faced threats and insecurity for far too long, and yet they continue to advocate for themselves, their families and the millions of undocumented individuals in the U.S. who have earned a path tocitizenship.
“With so many lives at stake, immigrant youth, organizers and advocates refuse to accept the status quo any longer. It is past time for Congress to act for immigrant youth and millions of immigrants facing the threat of deportation and family separation. Congress must listen to the public and pass legislation that will, once and for all, pave the path to citizenship.”
Sara Gomez Horta, a former DACA recipient and Strategic Partnerships Manager at the Immigration Hub said:
“We celebrate the relentless organizing by undocumented immigrant youth that led to DACA and has kept the program alive for ten years despite numerous threats, including current threats in the courts. DACA has provided so many of us with the opportunity to live our dreams free from the fear of deportation. However, it is not a permanent solution and remains closed off to younger generations of undocumented youth. DACA recipients and our families play an integral daily role in the fabric of America, with many serving as frontline workers. As we look toward the future, we affirm that our home is here and our community deserves the stability and peace of mind that only a pathway to citizenship would provide. I and current and former DACA recipients call on Congress to deliver protections immediately.”
###
The Immigration Hub is a national organization dedicated to advancing fair and just immigration policies through strategic leadership, innovative communications strategies, legislative advocacy and collaborative partnerships.