Immigrants accuse Trump administration of betraying them

They grew up in America and are working or going to school here. Some are building businesses or raising families of their own. Many have no memory of the country where they were born.

Now, almost 800,000 young immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children or overstayed their visas could see their lives upended after the Trump administration announced Tuesday it is ending the Obama-era program that protected them from deportation.

“We are Americans in heart, mind and soul. We just don’t have the correct documentation that states we’re American,” said Jose Rivas, 27, who is studying for a master’s in counseling at the University of Wyoming.

The news that the government is phasing out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA , was met with shock, anger and a sense of betrayal by its beneficiaries, often called “Dreamers.” For opponents, many said they were pleased the Trump administration had put an end to President Barack Obama’s DACA program, calling it an unconstitutional abuse of executive power.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who made Tuesday’s announcement, said DACA was an “overreach” that could not be defended by the Justice Department. The Trump administration and other DACA opponents argue that it is up to Congress to decide how to deal with such immigrants.

Late Tuesday night, Trump tweeted, however, that he might get involved in the issue if Congress does not come up with legislation. The president tweeted: “Congress now has 6 months to legalize DACA (something the Obama Administration was unable to do). If they can’t, I will revisit this issue!”

Demonstrations broke out Tuesday in New York City, where police handcuffed and removed over a dozen immigration activists who briefly blocked Trump Tower, and in other cities, including Salt Lake City, Denver, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon. Students walked out of class in protest in several cities, including Phoenix and Albuquerque.

Attorneys general for several states threatened to sue to protect the DACA beneficiaries. “We stand ready to take all appropriate legal action to protect Oregon’s Dreamers,” Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum tweeted.

Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes, a Republican and an early Trump supporter, said the president has every right to end DACA, which was started by Obama in 2012. But he added that it would be unconscionable to deport those who benefited from the program.

“These children grew up believing they are American, and so many of them have lived lives of which America can be proud,” Reyes said.