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SPLC encourages Trump administration to protect ‘Dreamers’

The following statement, regarding the letter by 20 state attorneys generals urging the Trump administration to protect young, undocumented immigrants – or “Dreamers” – in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, is by Naomi Tsu, deputy legal director for the SPLC:

“In many cases, young people in the DACA program know of no other home than the United States. They have lived here, attended school here and become an integral part of our communities. They should not have to live in fear of being rounded up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and deported.

“As 20 state attorneys general explained in a letter to the president Friday, this administration should maintain the policies and practices of the Obama administration, which allowed these young ‘Dreamers’ to come out of the shadows, attend college, obtain employment, pay taxes and be more productive members of our communities.

“What’s more, Congress should support legislation like the Dream Act. This legislation, which was reintroduced by Senators Dick Durbin and Lindsey Graham, provides a pathway to citizenship for these young people and ensures that their lives aren’t easily subject to the political whims of any administration.”