Steve King Attempts to Terminate DACA

From the Immigrant Legal Resource Center:

THE IMMIGRANT LEGAL RESOURCE CENTER OPPOSES EFFORTS TO END THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DACA PROGRAM

San Francisco, CA, June 6, 2013 — Today, the U.S. House of Representatives approved an amendment offered by Rep. Steve King (R-IA) to HR 2217, the “Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act 2014.” This amendment denies funding to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to implement and administer several important programs, including the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program.

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program provides relief from removal and a work permit for two years to certain eligible undocumented youth. Among other requirements, DACA-eligible individuals must have entered the United States before age 16, prove they have continuously lived in the U.S. since 2007, meet an educational requirement, and must not have committed certain offenses. Many are current students, college graduates, and individuals that have family, employment, and community ties to the United States.

“We are disappointed in the Representatives that have voted in favor of this amendment. This amendment cuts against current efforts to move our country in a positive direction by reforming our broken immigration system. It disregards the public’s continued support for immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children and who believe these individuals should be given an opportunity to fulfill their dreams of more fully contributing to their communities. DACA is a form of prosecutorial discretion that allows the DHS to efficiently utilize its limited resources by not directing them towards removing youth that do not pose a threat to our society, but instead, are hardworking students and employees.

Prosecutorial discretion plays a major role in our American justice system, found not only in the immigration context, but also in the criminal justice system, it is a practice widely used by other law enforcement and prosecuting agencies. Eliminating funding for prosecutorial discretion programs, especially for the DACA program, is not cost-efficient or effective. Prosecutorial discretion is in place to use limited resources in more prioritized cases.

At such a critical time, we need leadership to ensure that immigration reform protects families and fosters due process, not misguided attacks on promising immigrant youth whose only desire is to contribute to the country they call home,” stated Eric Cohen, Executive Director of the ILRC.

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