City of Albuquerque Joins Amicus Brief with Over 100 Other Cities and Counties in Support of DACA Recipients
October 15, 2019
Ahead of the November 12th U.S. Supreme Court oral arguments regarding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, the City of Albuquerque, along with over 100 other cities and counties, has signed on to an amicus brief in support of the program. Roughly 700,000 young immigrants, known as Dreamers, have been a part of the program to date.
Mayor Tim Keller said, “Immigrants are an integral part of our city, serving in the military, as teachers, as nurses and engineers, contributing to the diversity that we see as a major strength—and young immigrants are helping build a stronger future for all of us. We will not stand by silently as these young people have their lives turned upside down by political gamesmanship.”
DACA was created in 2012 to offer temporary protection from deportation for undocumented immigrants who arrived to the United States as children. This program also offers the ability for recipients to work legally and attend school. On September 5, 2017, the DACA program ended under the Trump administration jeopardizing the lives of many Dreamers.
The City of Albuquerque’s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Director (OIRA) Mariela Ruiz-Angel said, “Dreamers have contributed to our communities in so many ways. Dreamers have deep roots in American communities as they have lived in the US for decades. OIRA will continue to stand side by side with them, and the millions of those across the country who have made their voices heard in support of DACA.”
Over the past two years, multiple courts have kept renewals ongoing for current DACA recipients, but participants face psychological impacts of uncertainty about their futures, deportation, and separation from family.
Across the United States, 1.5 million individuals live with a DACA recipient. Ending DACA will have devastating consequences for Dreamers and their families while doing serious damage to the economy.