TRUMP’S DACA DECISION
Readers respond on Dreamer issue
Though I try to remain hopeful, I continue to be stressed over the direction our country is taking under the leadership of President Donald Trump. His latest deplorable action is to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which allows the children of illegal immigrants to remain in this country. How horrible it must feel to have the uncertainty of being deported through no fault of your own. With the DACA agreement being rescinded, innocent children will be subject to forcible removal from the U.S., the only home they’ve ever known. Ninetyseven percent of DACA participants are employed or enrolled in school. Approximately 800,000 such children are in the U.S. Our economy would be adversely affected if all these children left. Ending DACA without a plan for the future other than to say it’s up to Congress is just irresponsible and mean spirited. How would this “Make America Great Again”? Carolyn Mcintosh, Littleton
President Donald Trump’s decision to end DACA is not only cruel but shameful. The president also contradicts his own previous statements that Dreamers are great kids, causes great anxiety among 800,000 young people, and increases national stress.
We must recall that President Barack Obama resorted to the executive order because Congress refused to act on any immigration legislation. Deporting undocumented students and young adults who passively entered this country as infants, toddlers or young teenagers is punishment of them for the lawbreaking behavior of their parents or other family members. It’s also another slide downwards if not total loss of the great reputation the U.S.A. had gained in the international community under Obama. What a shame!
Now urge Republican congressmen to sponsor immigration bills and support laws for obtaining legal documentation and eventual citizenship. The clock is ticking. Roswitha Moehring, Denver
President Donald Trump used great compassion in dealing with the dreamers issue. It is evident from the demonstration outside East High School, shown on national TV, that our schools are public schools are littered with teachers with onesided political bias.
Were these students also told that President Barack Obama violated the U.S. Constitution by his unconstitutional act in, by executive order, declaring DACA law in the first place, contrary to the separation of powers doctrine enshrined in the Constitution and confirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court? Obama should have been impeached for his action.
Congress must now show the compassion demonstrated by the president in giving those innocents six months before his action is effective. Yes, those dreamers deserve to stay, and, if they wish, be granted American citizenship; it was their parents who broke the law, not them. Now Congress, on both sides of the aisle, can emulate the president’s compassion if they get off their duffs and carry out a purpose for which they were elected.
Harry L. Arkin,
Besides being just another mean-spirited White House solution to a non-existent problem, here’s what’s bad for the U.S. to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program: For the past 20 or more years, the U.S. has been investing in, training and educating a generation of DACA kids in high tech and other needed professions that U.S. companies and our economy desperately need to fill advanced skilled jobs.
Instead, the Trump administration wants to ship those we’ve spent time and resources on back to other countries to fill their need for these types of jobs, and then compete with us with their products. This valuable generation of professionals and the U.S. economy should not be sacrificed just to satisfy Donald Trump’s vengeful obsession to wipe out the Obama legacy. The president should get over this unhealthy, childish desire and get on with doing what’s best for our country. Philip B. Rutherford, Denver
“We welcome your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breath free.” That may have been a noble sentiment when written. It might have been an appropriate thing to say 200 or even 100 years ago. But not anymore.
Things have changed. We were a big open, sparsely populated country. We needed a lot of people to settle and farm the land. Then later we needed people to man the manufacturing industry. That is no longer the case and our immigration policies ought to change to reflect that.
I don’t blame anyone for wanting to come to the U.S. in search of a better life. Because there is no better place on Earth. But if we have unfettered immigration, that U.S. will cease to exist. Sure we could take millions more people. And in time we could look like India. Does anyone really want that? Gerald Mitchell, Westminster
A reminder to our Congress: America was built on dreams. It was built on the dreams of our forefathers for a nation of freedom. The dreams of caring parents for the health and happiness of their children; the dreams of dedicated teachers for the success of their students; the dreams of developers for the success of their projects; the dreams of artists, writers, mechanics, laborers and all who believe in life as well as an opportunity to live in peace, comfort and security.
When you crush the hopes and dreams of individuals you are killing an essential piece of their life. Our president began life as a millionaire and probably dreamed of becoming a billionaire. Most of us are not that lucky. It sometimes takes a leap of faith to acquire empathy and understanding of others. When privilege trumps human values and kindness we are in deep trouble. It is only through charity, understanding and good deeds that our country will be the greatest that it can be. Marilyn Kopelman, Greenwood Village
I have lived in the U.S. for 56 years since arriving from Cuba, and have never been exposed to the iniquities, the lies, the abuse of power, and the destruction of what our country stands for since Donald Trump became president. But what he is doing now with the dreamers protected under DACA is despicable and hateful.
This country is great because of its diversity and for the contributions that all its citizens — those who were born here, and those who became citizens by choice, not by chance — have made and are continuing to make.
Let’s not allow this semblance of a president destroy what has made this United States of America a beacon of freedom and hope. Carmen C. Gorgas, Denver
I can hardly believe that President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions are effectively killing the DACA program. This is going to hurt many thousands of children and tear families apart. There is a better way. Remember, Mr. Trump, these are human beings, not animals. John Ruckman, Lakewood
Maybe if we would have closed the border years ago we wouldn’t be having all these problems with DACA. Lenny Johnson, Denver