For Immediate Release | September 5, 2017
In response to today’s announcement from the Trump administration, WA Charters released the following statement and call to action:
As expected, this morning, the Trump administration announced its decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. DACA has allowed certain undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children to be granted a type of temporary permission to stay in the U.S. called “deferred action.”
The impact of the administration’s decision to rescind DACA will directly impact 800,000 young people across our country who have relied upon DACA for protection against deportation. Many public school students and employees, including those at charter public schools, are DACA recipients. The Northwest Immigrant Rights Project estimates that here in Washington, 40,000 youth stand to be directly impacted. While ending DACA will be most immediately felt and deeply personal for these individuals and their loved ones, its impact will be far-reaching, affecting all Americans who look to our nation’s leaders to uphold our nation’s fundamental democratic values.
While we are still waiting to see what a DACA rollback plan may look like, WA Charters remains committed to standing up for the civil rights of all students at every turn – regardless of their immigration status. Given today’s announcement, it is clear that legislative action to protect the civil rights of students is more urgent than ever. We stand firmly with elected officials from both sides of the aisle, business leaders, educators, and community organizations across our state and nation in support of DACA recipients who are seeking a quality education to prepare them for college, career, and a better life for their families.
The only permanent solution for DACA recipients is to pass legislation that gives them the security of legal status and the opportunity to become citizens and continue to build their lives in this country – the country they have called home for most of their lives.
Congress now has the responsibility to make this right. We invite you to join us in urging them to pass—and the president to sign—the Durbin-Graham DREAM Act of 2017.
Click here to be connected directly with your members of Congress and ask them to co-sponsor the DREAM Act of 2017. If you’ve already taken this important action, share the opportunity with your network.