It’s time to protect those who are working to protect us

At any moment, the U.S. Supreme Court could issue a decision terminating the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which grants young immigrants who came to the U.S. as children deportation protections and the ability to legally work and study in the U.S.

Of the nearly 700,000 DACA recipients nationwide, there are 200,000 essential workers in the health care, food and education industries.

These immigrants have battled this crisis on the front lines and struggled alongside us, yet their future in the United States remains uncertain.

DACA recipients came to the U.S. as the average age of 6 — they’ve built their lives here, bought homes, created families and careers, and much more.

But if the Supreme Court rules against the program and revokes their deportation protections, we could lose thousands of essential workers in the midst of a pandemic, and Colorado could suffer a severe economic blow.

Here in Colorado, all of our approximate 14,500 DACA recipients are essential to our continued prosperity.

They are our teachers, students, employees, employers. And, most importantly, they are part of our community.

While we await the Supreme Court’s ruling, I strongly encourage all eligible DACA recipients to consult an immigration attorney about renewing their status.

DACA recipients also need permanent legislative protections that only Congress can provide.

Last year, the House passed the Dream and Promise Act, and now the Senate should do the same. It’s crucial to our success.

Catherine Kartman, Denver