Is Trump man enough to save DACA?
President should preserve program until Congress passes a new Dream Act
The president faces a choice that will show America whether he is strong enough to chart his own course — or if he is easily swayed by prevailing political winds. Lives are at stake. The lives of young people who are called “dreamers” for good reason. They are currently protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, that Trump is being pushed to dismantle. Trump has choices. Huge ones. He can allow himself to be forced into action by a group of attorneys general with an agenda.
He can go along with those who want to use the DACA kids as a bargaining chip to get funding for his border wall through Congress.
Both choices represent capitulation rather than leadership.
A third choice: Trump can be true to his February promise to “deal” with the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program “with heart.”
This is a decision of great magnitude. The lives and futures of many children and families are at stake.
Such a decision should not be made in response to threats or political agendas.
Trump faces a false deadline imposed by the attorneys general from Texas and nine other GOP-led states, who threaten to sue if he doesn’t end DACA by Sept. 5.
The president should call their bluff. He’s been in court before.
The other temptation is to use these kids as a bargaining chip in Congress to coerce Democratic votes on Trump priorities, such as funding the wall on the southern border.
It lacks “heart” to use human beings that way.
The solution does, however, lie with Congress. The president should use his outsized bully pulpit to make it happen.
DACA was never meant to be permanent.
The program was put in place in 2012 by President Barack Obama as a temporary protection for young people who grew up in this country but lacked immigration documents solely due to the actions of their parents.
Some were brought across the border illegally. Some came with their parents on visas that have since expired. All are innocent bystanders to their parents’ actions. They should not suffer for being obedient children.
They are called dreamers because they embrace the American Dream. They were educated in this country and grew up as de facto Americans. Now, they are ready to give back to the only country they know.
About 800,000 of them stepped out of the shadows under DACA, went through screening and were given permission to remain here temporarily. Nearly 28,000 of them live in Arizona.
Since 2001, Republicans have been part of bipartisan efforts in Congress to create a permanent solution for the dreamers.
This summer, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham and Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin introduced yet another version of the Dream Act.
DACA remains a necessary stopgap to provide a sense of security to these young people until Congress acts. Anybody who has a heart can see that.
Trump needs to keep DACA in place and use his considerable bully pulpit to persuade Congress to finally pass the Dream Act.