COLUMBUS – Immigrants are vowing to fight to stay in the U.S. and advocates are launching campaigns including fundraisers and registration drives after the Trump administration announced it would dismantle a program that protected hundreds of thousands of young people in Ohio and across the nation from deportation.
“We knew this was coming, but it doesn’t mean we’re done; we’re going to keep fighting,” says Jose Cabrera, who is Immigration Program coordinator for the Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center in Cincinnati.
Opponents of the program said they are pleased the Trump administration’s decision. They called DACA an unconstitutional abuse of executive power.
“There’s a new DREAM Act introduced in the Senate and also in the House of ‘Reps.’ So, we’re going to work to pressure our congressmen and get that legislation passed,” Cabrera said.
The DREAM Act of 2017 would create a pathway to citizenship for those eligible for DACA.
The White House criticized President Barack Obama for using executive authority to create the program and encouraged Congress to develop a legislative solution.
According to the Center for American Progress, Ohio would lose $250 billion dollars in gross domestic product if the state’s current DACA workers were removed.
“So many business leaders have sent letters to Trump urging him to keep DACA, because they know the talents that DACA students have, and they want those talents. A lot of these DACA students, we grew up here, we were raised here – so that’s American talent,” Cabrera said.
Administration leaders noted all existing DACA work permits will be honored until their expiration up to two years from now and permits will be renewed for those whose status expires in the next six months.