Asian Americans Advancing Justice Responds to District Court Ruling Against DACA
Congress Must Get Its Act Together and Pass Permanent Protections for Immigrant Youth
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday evening, Judge Andrew Hanen of the Southern District of Texas ruled against the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in Texas v. United States. As this court case goes through appeals, current DACA recipients are still protected—with their status and ability to work still intact—and can continue to renew their DACA.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice, an affiliation of five independent civil rights organizations, responds with the following statement:
“While expecting this ruling, Asian Americans Advancing Justice is appalled by the relentless attacks on DACA and the callousness shown for the lives and futures of DACA holders, immigrant youth, and families across the country.
“For too long, hundreds of thousands of people with DACA have been forced to live with uncertainty as the program endures such attacks, while millions of other undocumented community members without access to these protections are stuck in an unending limbo. This is a direct result of Congressional inaction and failure to deliver permanent protections for our communities.
“Of the 1.7 million undocumented Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States today, over 14,000 Asian Americans and more than 150 Pacific Islander youth are currently protected by DACA. If DACA were to end, these community members—who have long called the United States home alongside millions of others—face the loss of their jobs and ability to care for their families as well as the threat of deportation and separation from their loved ones.
“But the fight is not over, and we continue to call on our elected officials to ensure the safety and livelihoods of our communities. While our moral compass should ultimately guide our immigration policies, the significance of a permanent solution for DACA holders and undocumented people on the economy, workforce, and fabric of America must also be understood by our country’s leaders. Congress must act now before it is too late.
“In the meantime, neither this order nor the accompanying supplemental injunction requires the Department of Homeland Security or the Department of Justice to take any immigration, deportation, or criminal action against any DACA recipient, applicant, or any other individual that would otherwise not be taken. DACA holders continue to maintain their status and can continue to renew their DACA and work authorization as this fight continues.”
Asian Americans Advancing Justice
Asian Americans Advancing Justice is a national affiliation of five leading organizations advocating for the civil and human rights of Asian Americans and other underserved communities to promote a fair and equitable society for all. The affiliation's members are: Advancing Justice - AAJC (Washington, DC), Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus, Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL), Advancing Justice - Atlanta, and Advancing Justice - Chicago.