FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Faith Netsanet
fnetsanet@childrensdefense.org
This statement can be attributed to Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson, President and CEO of Children’s Defense Fund.
On Wednesday, October 5, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in Texas v. United States ruled against the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and sent the case back to Federal District Court Judge Hanen to decide on the fate of the program. While current DACA recipients can continue to renew their status, the government cannot grant DACA to new applicants.
This ruling further jeopardizes the well-being and future of children, youth, and families in the country they call home.
Dreamers and their families make us stronger. Rather than upholding immigrants’ inherent dignity and fundamental human rights, our elected officials have failed to deliver on years of promises to secure permanent protection.
DACA is not enough.
DACA has been a government band-aid for delivering lasting protection for immigrants for a decade. Children’s Defense Fund stands firmly with DACA recipients and all Dreamers and calls on Congress to enact a permanent legislative solution to provide a pathway to citizenship that these young people and their families need and deserve.
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About Children’s Defense Fund
Celebrating 50 years in 2023, Children’s Defense Fund envisions a nation where marginalized children flourish, leaders prioritize their well-being, and communities wield the power to ensure they thrive. The only national, multi-issue advocacy organization working at the intersection of child well-being and racial justice, CDF advances the well-being of America’s most diverse generation, the 74 million children and youth under the age of 18, and 30 million young adults under the age of 25. CDF’s grassroots movements in marginalized communities build power for child-centered public policy, informed by racial equity and the lived experience of children and youth. Its renowned CDF Freedom Schools® are conducted in nearly 100 cities and 30 states and territories.