09.05.17

Scott Statement on President Trump Ending DACA

WASHINGTON – Rep. Bobby Scott (VA-03), ranking member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, released the following statement after Attorney General Jeff Sessions confirmed that President Trump is ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

“I am deeply disappointed President Trump is ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. In 2012, we asked undocumented immigrants who were brought here at a young age, through no fault of their own, to step out of the shadows and undergo robust background checks in exchange for work authorization and temporary relief from deportation. We promised them an opportunity to legally contribute to their communities.

“Since then, nearly 800,000 undocumented young people have been granted temporary permission to live, learn and work in this country. They have been able to fulfill their dreams of completing college, getting a job, buying a car and owning a home, thereby contributing to economic growth that benefits all Americans. In fact, even without access to federal financial aid, nearly one in three DACA recipients have pursued college and another 40,000 have earned at least a bachelor’s degree since the program’s inception. In Virginia alone, there are more than 1,300 undocumented college students who will be impacted by this decision. These students are future social workers, teachers, engineers, lawyers, doctors, small-business owners and more. They are integral to our communities and economies.

“According to the Center for American Progress, DACA recipients stand poised to contribute more than $460 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product – approximately $711 million per year to Virginia alone – over the next decade. Despite powerful evidence of the program’s success, in six months, President Trump will withdraw our country’s promise to these young people who know no other country than the United States as ‘home’. This is in keeping with the Administration’s inhumane anti-immigration agenda. In the wake of today’s announcement, Congress must act now to protect DREAMers and immigrant families.”

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