DACA Has Proven Successful

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August. 15, 2013

CONTACT
Adela de la Torre, 213-674-2832, [email protected]

One Year Later, DACA Has Proven Successful

Program Underscores Need for Lasting, Permanent Road to Citizenship for DREAMers and Parents

WASHINGTON —One year ago today, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program began accepting applications. The program, which provides relief from deportation as well as work authorization to immigrants who arrived in this country as children and have met certain requirements, has attracted more than 500,000 applicants. Below is a statement from Don Lyster, director of the National Immigration Law Center’s DC office:

“The implementation of DACA has been a model of effectiveness. The program is proof that when advocates, attorneys, immigrants, and government agencies work together, we can make life better for hundreds of thousands of people. Across the country, immigrant youth are achieving their personal and professional dreams thanks to the incredible work done by countless people to educate and advocate for this program.

“DACA is more than a life-changing program for DREAMers, it’s also a game-changer in the political world. This program is the result of months of relentless advocacy by DREAMers and their allies. These immigrant youth showed that they are ready to determine their own destinies, and our civil society is made richer thanks to their contributions.

“However, they—and we—are not done yet. DREAMers’ parents and loved ones continue to be deported at record rates, shattering families and communities in the process. Those who’ve been granted DACA are stuck planning their lives in two-year increments, and their position in this country could disappear under a future administration.

“These 11 million aspiring Americans should have the opportunity to earn their citizenship. When the House of Representatives reconvenes in September, it can and should follow in the Senate’s bipartisan footsteps and give DREAMers, their parents, and their loved ones a vote on citizenship. Until then, we will continue to mobilize, organize, and advocate for laws that allow the half million DACAmented immigrants to become full participants in our society.”

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