Washington, DC – The following is a statement from Candy Marshall, President of TheDream.US, reacting to the Trump administration’s memo declaring that it will reconsider the fate of the DACA program and that, effective immediately, it will reject any new initial requests for DACA and restrict any renewals of DACA and accompanying work authorizations to one-year periods:
“Today’s announcement is needless and counterproductive for DREAMers and America. It only serves to inject more uncertainty into the lives and futures of hundreds of thousands of young people who are enriching our workplaces, campuses, and communities and are part of the fabric of this nation. This has never been more clear than through this pandemic – with DREAMers working on the front line to save lives and meet Americans’ essential needs.
Through years of uncertainty about the fate of DACA, we have witnessed the resilience and determination of our Scholars and their fellow DREAMers to succeed in college – while working one or more jobs to support themselves and their families. Many have also courageously shared their stories to help Americans understand who they are and what they bring to our country.
Today, we want to reassure every one of our Scholars that our support for you remains steadfast – we see you, we believe in you, we will continue to support you.
Today’s news also underscores the need for Congress to finally do what is right for DREAMers and our country by immediately passing legislation providing DREAMers with the permanent status needed to fully participate in our society and plan their futures with confidence. We stand with the 85% of Americans who agree that NOW is the time to give DREAMers that opportunity.”
About TheDream.US
TheDream.US is the nation’s largest college access and success program for immigrant youth, having provided more than 6,500 college scholarships to DREAMers at more than 70 partner colleges in 16 states and Washington, DC. We believe that all young Americans, regardless of where they were born, should have the opportunity to get a college education and pursue a meaningful career that contributes to our country’s prosperity.
Read through TheDream.US Scholar story-bank, featuring powerful personal reflections from Scholars about their lives, journeys, and future goals here