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Press Release: DACA Renewal Announcement Does Not Change Need for Dream Act Now
Posted on Jan 15 2018
UPDATED 1 pm, 1/15/18
January 15, 2018 – The government announced Saturday night that it would comply with the federal court order and accept DACA renewal applications. That step, while welcome, is a limited and temporary move that does not mitigate the urgency of passing a clean Dream Act now, this week.
“Only Congressional action can establish permanent, secure protection for Dreamers,” said John Keller, executive director of the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM). “Congress needs to act now to provide a path to permanent residence. The future of Dreamers should not depend on an anti-immigrant, anti-DACA administration that right now is trying to overturn the judicial decision ordering it to allow renewals.”
Keller also pointed out that the decision to accept DACA renewals could be reversed at any time. This decision does not allow new applications, which means no relief for young teenagers who, by turning 15 years old, would have qualified to apply for DACA. They continue to live in danger of deportation due to the Trump administration’s September 5 decision to kill DACA.
ILCM will immediately begin helping those DACA recipients positively affected under the court order.
“Today,” said Keller, “as we remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and honor the dream we share with him, we call on Congress to create a road to citizenship for young Dreamers whose talents and energy and imagination contribute so much to our country.”
The Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, together with Navigate MN, will host a Facebook Live conversation on DACA on Thursday, January 18 at 10:30 a.m. on our Facebook page.
UPDATED 1 pm, 1/15/18 with new time for Facebook Live event.