Austin talks DACA

Yesterday, the Trump administration announced its intention to allow the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to expire. Reaction from local leaders was quick, and fairly unified. Mayor Steve Adler’s statement was brief: “It would be shameful to deport children from the only home they’ve known, especially as Mexico leaps to assist with the Harvey relief effort and our City proudly offers shelter to all who need it. DACA was our country at its best. Congress must act now.”

Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt also released a statement: “My heart goes out to our DREAMers, whose dreams have been deferred yet again. Please join me in asking our members of Congress to act swiftly for a legislative solution restoring this compassionate program.”

Council Member Greg Casar’s statement was lengthier, and can be found online. He said, in part, “The decision by the Trump administration to attack 800,000 young people by terminating the DACA program is unconscionable and abhorrent. Trump and his allies want to make it illegal for these young people to work and are threatening them with deportation. DACA recipients are people who have grown up here, who are working here, or attending college here – and are our friends and loved ones. Ending DACA serves only to oppress immigrants and to instill fear. … We will march in the streets and build solidarity. We will fight against the moral embarrassment that is the Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton who is leading the attacks against our young people. To those who are dreamers: I cannot tell you everything is going to be alright. Today will go down as a disgraceful, horrible day in our nation’s history. But we will not give up. We are with you to the end.”