ALIENTO’s Statement on Trump Administration’s Continues Attack on Dreamers

06-18-2020 DACA Stays_8053 (1).jpg


Phoenix, Arizona - ALIENTO issued the following statement after the Trump Administration's new memo on the DACA program to drastically change DACA recipients’ protections and prevent dreamers from applying to the DACA program, leaving them vulnerable to deportation. 

July 28, 2020 the Department of Homeland Security acting secretary Chad Wolf issued a Memorandum regarding the popular Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. This comes a little after a month since The U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision that the Trump Administration's actions were arbitrary and capricious when it rescinded the DACA program on September 5, 2017.  

The memo states four changes: 

  1. Current applicants can renew their application for only 1 year instead of 2 years 

  2. Renewals will be approved on a case by case basis (it is still unknown if the criteria will change) 

  3. Advance Parole will be rejected unless applicant can prove “extreme circumstances” 

  4. New applications will be rejected 

“This is another example of the actions that the Trump Administration is taking to ensure thousands of Dreamers are living a life of uncertainty, fear, and anxiety. We at ALIENTO are committed to continue to support Dreamers and the undocumented community until we are able to live in peace without the fear of deportation.” stated Reyna Montoya, founder and CEO of ALIENTO and DACA recipient.  

“This administration is fixated in attacking immigrants especially Dreamers, undocumented youth and DACA recipients. More than 9 in 10 Americans support Dreamers having the ability to stay in the country. It's heartbreaking for young immigrants who were too young to apply to the program when it was initially rescinded. The Maryland court order had given them hope and now the Trump administration takes it from them in such a cruel fashion just as they were about to submit the applications. This administration has had years to propose a legislation that would provide certainty for immigrants, yet they haven’t. We are resilient and have overcome many obstacles, we will triumph through this adversity. “ Jose Patino, Director of Education and Advocacy at Aliento and DACA recipient. 

###

ALIENTO, is an undocumented and Dreamer-led nonprofit and leadership organization.  We are directly impacted people and allies who are invested in the well being, emotional healing, and leadership development of those impacted by the inequalities of lacking an immigration status. We transform trauma into hope + action through the arts, leadership development, and advocacy.   



Aliento