Richard Vogel / AP
Supporters of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA chant slogans and hold signs while joining a Labor Day rally in downtown Los Angeles on Monday, Sept. 4, 2017.
Published Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017 | 10:04 a.m.
Updated Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017 | 11:32 a.m.
Local supporters of the soon-to-end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program are renewing calls for Congress to pass the DREAM Act, legislation that seeks to protect young immigrants.
President Donald Trump’s administration announced today it would phase out DACA in response to a threat from a group of attorneys general to sue if Trump didn’t signal an end to the program by Sept. 5. One of those attorneys general changed his mind last week and pulled his support for the ultimatum.
DACA was created by President Barack Obama’s administration after years of Congress failing to enact immigration reform. Advocates for young immigrants want lawmakers to pass the DREAM Act as a definitive solution.
“We call on Republican legislators in the Senate and Congress to support young immigrants and work with Democrats to pass a clean, stand-alone DREAM Act,” Geoconda Argüello-Kline, secretary-treasurer of the Culinary Union, said in a statement.
“We call on our Las Vegas employers on the Las Vegas Strip and in downtown Las Vegas to stand with your workforce and to not let this immoral decision pass quietly,” she said.
U.S. Rep. Ruben Kihuen, D-Nev., said he was once “undocumented” and would continue to push to protect young immigrants.
“DACA beneficiaries are teachers, students, young professionals, and service members who provide significant economic and cultural benefits to our country,” Kihuen said in a statement. “All these young people want is a chance for a better life and greater opportunity. Dreamers are not criminals and they should not be targets for deportation.”
U.S. Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., said Republicans paved the way for Trump’s latest decision with years of inaction on immigration policy.
“I am working with community leaders to help provide access to resources for immigrants and urging my colleagues in Congress to reverse Trump’s latest attack on working families,” Titus said.
U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., who has signed onto the Senate version of the DREAM Act, said in a statement today that ending the program threatens young immigrants in the program with deportation.
“DACA’s repeal will cost the U.S. economy $433 billion in the next decade, reduce Social Security tax revenue by $19.9 billion and Medicare tax revenue by $4.6 billion,” Cortez Masto said in a statement. “The human costs are unquestionably more profound. President Trump’s latest actions will not intimidate us. This fight is not over. I call on Republicans in the Senate to take up and immediately pass the DREAM Act.”
U.S. Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., said in a statement today that the Obama-era program created by executive order demonstrates why it’s important for Congress to debate significant legal changes.
“While I remain concerned about the way in which DACA came to life, I've made clear that I support the program because hardworking individuals who came to this country through no fault of their own as children should not be immediately shown the door," Heller said. "This is why I am a cosponsor of the BRIDGE Act, which provides legal status for these individuals while Congress works toward a permanent solution through the proper constitutional process. Just as I have in the past, I'll continue to work with my colleagues to reform our broken immigration system and that must start with securing our borders; however, we cannot lose sight of the fact that our country has a long history of welcoming immigrants and our communities in Nevada are stronger because of it."
An official with the office of U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., said the congressman was traveling but would release a statement on the DACA decision.
The DACA program has served almost 800,000 families nationally, according to the ACLU of Nevada. The group said in a statement today that Nevada’s representatives in Washington, D.C., need to provide a permanent solution.
“President Trump has thrown thousands of Nevada families into chaos with his decision on DACA,” ACLU of Nevada Executive Director Tod Story said. “DACA recipients have rights under our Constitution, and we will do everything in our power to ensure these members of our communities receive the due process and equality they are guaranteed under the law.”
The DREAM Act of 2017, H.R. 3440, is sponsored by Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-Calif. Another California Democrat and two Republicans have signed on as cosponsors.
Gov. Brian Sandoval said in a statement that he supports DACA, noting he signed legislation allowing program participants to become licensed teachers in Nevada schools.
“While the state has taken many actions to embrace and ensure equal opportunities for DACA recipients, a solution requires congressional action,” Sandoval said. “I am hopeful that Nevada’s federal delegation will recognize the urgency of the moment and fight for the thousands of Nevadans who are living happier lives and contributing to our state’s recovery. Congress must act in order to preserve this program and reform and stabilize our nation’s immigration system.”
UNLV President Len Jessup reminded the campus community today that citizenship is not a prerequisite for admission at the university.
“We continue to be strong supporters of DACA and of our DACA students,” he said in an email to the campus community. “We recognize changes to DACA will have an adverse impact on some of our students and we will continue to communicate details as they become available.”
