Local congressman releases statement on DACA termination
Representative Salud Carbajal.
–Congressman Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) released the following statement as the Trump Administration announced the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program with a six-month delay:
“DACA has given nearly 800,000 young people a shot at the American dream, allowing them to come forward, live, work, and learn in the United States legally and without fear of deportation. This includes the over 9,000 students, entrepreneurs, and military members eligible for the program on the Central Coast. I was once a young immigrant to this nation, which has since given me the opportunity to work hard, raise my family, and serve my country both in the military and in Congress. Terminating DACA and stripping DREAMers of that hope and opportunity is unconscionable and incompatible with our American values.
“We cannot afford to abandon DACA recipients, who have lived in America all their lives and contribute to this country in many ways. Ending this program undermines our economic growth and competitiveness, costing our economy $490 billion in lost GDP over the next decade in addition to losing potential innovation and entrepreneurship.
“Congress must take immediate action to protect DREAMers before the program is set to expire. I am proud to co-sponsor the DREAM Act, to permanently codify DACA, and I urge my colleagues in the Majority to stand up for DREAMers by immediately bringing this legislation to the Floor for a vote.”
About DACA
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is an immigration policy founded by the Obama administration in June 2012. DACA allows certain illegal immigrants who entered the country as minors to receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation and eligibility for a work permit.
