Fate of ‘dreamers’ still undetermined
White House sending mixed signals on program
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration said Friday that it still has not decided the fate of a program protecting hundreds of thousands of young immigrants from deportation, despite a statement a day earlier that the program will continue.
The mixed signals reflect the political sensitivities behind the Obama administration program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA. As a candidate, Donald Trump denounced the program as an “illegal amnesty” and said he would immediately end it.
Since taking office, Trump has expressed empathy for the participants often called “dreamers,” many of whom have no memory of living anywhere but the United States. Cancelling the program could mean trying to deport more than 787,000 people who identified themselves to the government in exchange for temporary protection.
The Homeland Security Department said Thursday that the program would “remain in effect.”
That statement was included at the end of an announcement of the cancellation of a related Obama program, Deferred Action for Parents of Americans, which would have protected the immigrant parents of U.S. citizens. A court had blocked the DAPA program and it has never been implemented.
Trump has made immigration enforcement a top priority.