Reports: President Trump to end DACA
Trump to give Congress 6 months to craft legislative replacement, sources say
After months of uncertainty, President Trump will announce Tuesday that he is ending a program that protects nearly 800,000 young undocumented immigrants from deportation, media reports indicated late Sunday.
Politico and Reuters, citing unnamed sources, reported that Trump had decided to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program, known as DACA, which Trump inherited from President Barack Obama.
Reuters, citing sources familiar with the situation, said Trump will give Congress six months to craft a bill to replace DACA. But a senior White House aide told Politico that John Kelly, Trump’s chief of staff, “thinks Congress should’ve gotten its act together a lot longer ago.”
Attorney General Jeff Sessions helped persuade the president to terminate the program, Politico reported, but White House aides cautioned that “nothing is set in stone” until an official announcement has been made. The White House could still change its mind.
The White House informed House Speaker Paul Ryan of the president’s decision Sunday morning, Politico reported, citing a source close to the administration.
It’s not clear from the reports how the six-month delay would work or whether Congress will act in that time period.
Ending DACA would fulfill a campaign promise that is sure to please Trump’s supporters but
terrify DREAMers — immigrants illegally brought to the United States as children — whose lives will be upended.
Although Trump has taken a clear stand against illegal immigration throughout the campaign and his presidency, he had wavered on the future of DACA. During the campaign, he vowed to end it. After winning the November election, he said he would treat DREAMers with “great heart” and said they “shouldn’t be very worried.”
DACA was created in 2012 by the Obama administration after several failed attempts in Congress to pass a law to protect these undocumented immigrants. While announcing the program during a speech in the Rose Garden, Obama said those DREAMers didn’t make the decision to enter the U.S. illegally and shouldn’t be punished as a result.
“They are Americans in their heart, in their minds, in every single way but one: on paper,” Obama said. “It is the right thing to do.”
The program he established grants two-year stays for undocumented immigrants brought to the United States before their 16th birthday who have attended school or joined the military and have not committed any serious crimes. It also grants them work permits. Enrollees can renew their status after each two-year period.
The program was created through a memorandum from the Department of Homeland Security, which means it could be rescinded at any time without any input from Congress. That was always a concern of applicants, who knew their protections could be taken away.
A variety of groups have pleaded with the Trump administration to maintain the program. On Aug. 14, more than 100 law professors signed a letter to Trump insisting that DACA is perfectly legal. On Wednesday, a group of more than 1,850 governors, state attorneys general, faith leaders, police chiefs, sheriffs and civic leaders signed a statement urging Trump to keep the program.