AFT’s Weingarten on Anniversary of DACA

WASHINGTON— On the fourth anniversary of President Obama’s announcement of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, AFT President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement:

“Across the United States, young men and women who arrived as children and grew up as Americans are hoping for the chance to contribute fully to the country we all call home.

“Maria Dominguez is a first-grade bilingual teacher in Austin, Texas, whose life was transformed on June 2012 when President Obama announced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Maria is one of the more than 720,000 individuals who no longer have to live, drive and work with the unconscionable fear of being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“Our students and country stand to benefit from Maria’s contributions as a DACAmented teacher as well as the contributions of others who through DACA are now teachers, lawyers, nurses and entrepreneurs. President Obama acted because Republicans in the House of Representatives failed to muster the political courage to pass comprehensive immigration reform.

“While DACA allows individuals to obtain a Social Security number and work authorization, it does not provide a pathway to permanent legal status or citizenship. DACA must be renewed every two years. The AFT will continue to fight for a permanent solution to our broken immigration system and a pathway for citizenship for the 11.5 million aspiring Americans who have made the United States their home. We will continue the fight to end the inhumane immigration raids that are terrorizing our students and entire communities. We must end the fearmongering and scapegoating of our immigrant communities and celebrate the diversity and contributions of immigrants to our country.

“In the face of Congress’ inaction, President Obama expanded the program to include more undocumented youth, and to protect the parents of children born in America from deportation through Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA). But DAPA and an expansion of DACA are currently blocked while the U.S. Supreme Court considers a challenge to the programs brought by 26 states.

“We call on the U.S. Supreme Court to stand on the right side of justice and unfreeze DAPA and the expansion of DACA, the immigration executive actions announced in November 2014, which stand to benefit 5 million aspiring Americans. Research shows that the country would generate $91.9 billion in new state GDP over 10 years. We must create bridges and tear town walls of oppression and exclusion.”