Personal Story
Our lives are at stake: DACA faces jeopardy from Court Ruling and Trump’s Project 2025
Sheila Cruz-Morales writes about how judicial and partisan threats to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy endanger the safety and economic security of more than 500,000 immigrants living in the United States.
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On October 10, 2024, the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit held a hearing on oral arguments regarding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Despite the significant economic benefits and widespread support among Americans that the DACA program has generated since its inception under former President Obama, conservatives seek to dismantle it, arguing that it is unconstitutional and burdensome to government finances. Now, a decision is approaching, and the stakes couldn’t be higher for countless lives hanging in the balance, including mine.
This Fifth Circuit Court is known as one of the most conservative courts in the country. Their decision could endanger 500,000+ recipients, threatening the lives we’ve created in this nation, our careers and education, and most importantly, our safety and security. It is the dehumanization and vilification of immigrants—especially under former President Donald Trump’s rhetoric and policies—that has stripped people of their dignity, ravaged our communities, and deepened the division in our country, making it increasingly difficult for us to secure our rights.
The above excerpt was originally published in La Opinión. Click here to view the full article.
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