Crowley Calls Trump compassionless

WASHINGTON DC (TIP):  House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley (D-NY) issued the following statement on the Day of Action to support the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program:

“President Trump promised compassion for the young men and women who came to the United States as children and grew up American. However, it is clear that  President Trump has no idea what compassion is.

“His insistence on bending to the political will of the most extreme, anti-immigrant voices in his party is harmful to the United States’ long term success. Nowhere is this more true than when it comes to his position on DREAMers. These young people contribute to our economy, to our communities, and to our society. They should be celebrated for overcoming great odds to attend college, open small businesses, and serve in the military. While it seems clear that President Trump plans to effectively end the DACA program, it should be as equally clear that Democrats will stand with DREAMers to push back against this misguided decision. Our message to President Trump is simple: if you want to attack DREAMers, you’re going to have to go through us.”

Rescinding DACA would devastate young immigrants and hurt local communities and economies, says Allard

Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40), the ranking Democrat on the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee and the co-chair of the Women’s Working Group on Immigration Reform, issued the following statement as President Trump considers the future of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

“It is unconscionable and un-American that President Trump is even considering devastating the futures of the nearly 800,000 young Dreamers who are American in every way, but their immigration status. DACA helps young people who know no home but the United States, to use their talents to strengthen our economy, our society, and our communities.”

“Since DACA was created, it has contributed to the positive economic outlook of cities, states, and our nation as a whole. Simply put, without the contributions, innovations and inventions of immigrants, America would suffer. Terminating this critical program would force hundreds of thousands of young people out of the workforce and into the shadows. It would disrupt businesses and send adverse shockwaves through the economies of most of our states.”

“The President’s decision to terminate DACA would send a chilling message to immigrant communities across our nation. It would upend their lives and the lives of their families and would be at odds with the wishes of the vast majority of Americans, who, regardless of their political affiliation, overwhelmingly support giving these young individuals a chance at the American Dream to continue their lives in the only nation they call home.”

“President Trump should not betray the trust of those who have come forward, passed background checks and were granted permission to live and work legally in America. In fact, Mr. Trump should embrace their stories and contributions, and not search for ways to undermine their place in our nation’s future.”

“I call on President Trump to provide certainty for the 800,000 young individuals to remain in their American home and not submit them to the senseless cruelty of deportation.”

“In the meantime, I will continue fighting in Congress to protect those covered by DACA. Together, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and I introduced the DREAM Act of 2017, a bipartisan, bicameral bill allowing certain U.S.-raised immigrant youth to earn lawful permanent residence and a pathway to American citizenship. I hope the stories of these DREAMers and the invaluable benefits of their presence helps to convince my colleagues in Congress to join me in this bill. ”