Washington DC – Chanting “home here” outside the US Capitol, dozens of migrants who immigrated to the US as children and their supporters have urged lawmakers to protect a program that protects them from deportation.
Thursday’s protest came just hours after a US appeals court affirmed the lower court rule deemed Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) “illegal” – and left its future uncertain.
“I live with constant fear every day,” Monica Camacho, who came to the US from Mexico as a child and received DACA in 2013, said over loudspeaker during a live-streamed protest.
Camacho says getting DACA – a status she has to renew every two years – allows her to buy a home and become a teacher, but the reality is that the program is vulnerable to legal and conceptual challenges. politics left her and the other recipients in limbo.
“I get tired of constantly having to explain to politicians my values,” Camacho said.
‘Dreamers’
DACA was established in 2012 under the direction of President Barack Obama. It provides security from deportation to undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as minors, while allowing them to work, study, open businesses, and obtain driver’s licenses, along with many other things.
But DACA passed executive action after Congress failed to pass the American Dreams and Promises Act, a bill intended to bring DACA recipients, commonly known as “Dreamers“On the road to becoming a US citizen.
This means, 10 years laterDACA remains temporary and may be terminated through court trials or beyond law enforcement measures.
Last year, a US district judge in Texas declared DACA illegal, saying the program had not undergone the required notice and public comment period. Judge Andrew Hanen blocked new applications for DACA, but allowed the more than 600,000 people currently enrolled in the program to continue to benefit from it.
5th Court upheld Judge Hanen’s decision that the executive branch had no legal authority to help DACA recipients because Congress had not authorized it. So Congress can give it now. 2 /
– Theresa Cardinal Brown (@BPC_TBrown) October 6, 2022
Wednesday’s appeals court decision affirms the 2021 ruling – which allows those currently applying for DACA to maintain and renew their status, but continues to bar new applications.
The appeals court also asked Hanen to review the program introduced by the administration of President Joe Biden last month.
In September, the Biden administration proposed changes to DACA that would “preserve and strengthen“The program by making it subject to public comment and thus is more likely to survive legal challenges in the future.
Biden, as a candidate committed to defending the Dreamers, said he was “disappointed” by the appeals court’s ruling. “The court stay provides a temporary relief for DACA recipients but one thing remains clear: the Dreamers’ lives remain in state,” he said in a statement on Wednesday. limbo.
“And while we will use the tools we have at our disposal to allow Dreamers to live and work in the only country they know as home, Congress has long passed safeguards. permanent protection for the Dreamers, including the path to citizenship,” Biden said.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the Biden administration is currently reviewing the court’s decision and will work with the Justice Department on next steps.
I am very disappointed today #DACA the ruling and the ongoing uncertainty it creates for families and communities across the country.
We are currently reviewing the court’s decision and will work with @TheJusticeDept about an appropriate legal response.
(first /)
– Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas (@SecMayorkas) October 6, 2022
‘Emotions draining’
Meanwhile, the dreamers reported feeling tired of constantly worrying about their future.
Bruna Sollod, 31 years old, came to the US from Brazil as a child. She received DACA 10 years ago, which helped her advance her career, get a job in politics, and gain access to health care. But the nagging fear about the future is gone, she said.
“DACA has always had flaws. We’ve always lived through this two-year period and it’s exhausting,” Sollod told Al Jazeera. “It felt like we were constantly riding a roller coaster and never getting on,” she said. “It drains the emotions.”
Immigrant advocates also took to the court’s decision this week and called on Congress to pass legislation that would provide Dreamers with permanent protection.
“This is an appalling decision and a slap in the face to the hundreds of thousands of young people who live, work and worship among us,” said Vanessa Cardenas, vice president of America Voice, an advocate for progress. . immigrant group.
Cardenas said in a statement.
Diana Pliego, 28, a policy associate at the National Immigration Law Center, said she came to the US from Mexico at age 3 and received DACA when she turned 18. “I had a lot of conflicting emotions.” Pliego told Al Jazeera. court decisions.
“I am relieved that the extension will continue, but I also feel very disappointed and angry that we are here again,” she said. “And I can’t count how many times we’ve sat here [after] a court decision may or may not pull the rug down from us and affect our future. “
