Press Release: Supreme Court keeps the DACA Program Alive
For immediate release // excuse Cross-Posting
Contact: Jose Patiño, Aliento - jose@alientoaz.org
Reyna Montoya, Aliento - reyna@alientoaz.org
Supreme Court keeps the DACA Program Alive
The Trump Administration did not follow the Administration Procedures Act to terminate the the DACA Program
Dreamers, allies, activists and faith leaders call on Sen. Sinema & Sen. McSally to provide a pathway to citizenship to Dreamers
Press Conference
WHAT: Dreamers, community leaders, allies and attorneys will gather today outside of the ICE field office after the Supreme Court decided to side with the Trump administration to end the popular DACA program for a press conference urging Congress to provide a pathway for citizenship prior to ICE starting to deport Dreamers.
WHEN: June 18th, 2020
TIME: 9:30 to 10:00AM Press Conference.
10:00 to 10:30AM press conference followed by Q&A.
WHERE: ICE facilities in downtown Phoenix; 2035 N Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85004
WHO: Aliento, undocumented students, Dreamers, educators, faith leaders and allies. There will be visuals, posters and Dreamers who are willing to do interviews followed by the press conference.
Phoenix, AZ - This morning, the United States’ Supreme Court announced their decision on the DACA case. By a margin of 5-4 the Supreme Court decided that President Trump did not follow the Administration Procedures Act, thereby keeping the DACA program alive. DHS does have the power to end the DACA program, however, it must do so in a legal manner. No new DACA applications will be accepted. It has been almost three years since the Trump administration decided to end the DACA program back in September 5, 2017 with no legislative solution in mind.
Reyna Montoya, founder and CEO of Aliento and DACA recipient states, “Dreamers are the embodiment of the immigrant spirit. Today the Supreme Court gave Dreamers breathing space. Now more than ever Congress, specifically the Senate needs to pass a bi-partisan legislation to ensure Dreamers have a pathway to citizenship. We will continue to shine light amidst darkness and show this country that we will fight to stay home. We will continue to fight until we are free, because that is the American spirit, after all.”
Blanca, a DACA recipient social worker at an Arizona hospital states, “I am a mother of two U.S. citizens, I work as a social worker in an Arizona hospital, and a homeowner. With DACA, I was able to go back to school to earn my bachelors and masters in social work to help vulnerable families navigate the healthcare system. With DACA, I was able to buy a home where my parents and my children live. I am happy that the Supreme Court decided that the administration did not follow legal procedure when terminating the DACA program. Without DACA, I will lose the ability to work in the field I have worked so hard for. I will lose my job, my ability to provide for my children. I will fear that the government (ICE) will tear me away from my children. In the meantime, I will continue to wake up in the morning, hug my children a little tighter, and show up to work at the hospital.”
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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.
Tags: DACA, DREAMERS, AlientoAZ, Immigration, Aliento, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Senate
Maria Garcia, an undocumented student and fellow at Aliento states, “My heart was so full this morning to hear that DACA would not be ending. DACA recipients are able to have peace and be stress free about what their future holds. My brother along with some of my cousins have DACA and are working incredibly hard for their families. However, I am an undocumented student who was not able to apply for DACA, along with the rest of the Dreamers. This victory is a huge step, but one of the many that we will be taking. It will lead us to having our American Dream and everything we've worked so hard for. The fight is not over yet, until ALL Dreamers are able to make their dreams and goals come true, without having their status holding them back. This victory fills me with more and more faith. We will continue to fight, our dreams are not illegal.”
Ray Ybarra-Maldonado, an immigration lawyer states, “One more thing to clarify is that the decision today, in my opinion, leaves the program how it was yesterday. People who were in the program can continue to renew. People who were ever in DACA can continue to apply to the program. If you’ve never been in it, I don’t think this decision opens that up although we can receive future actions from district courts.”
Reyna Montoya, founder and CEO of Aliento and DACA recipient states, “If you are an educator, a business leader, a faith leader or a community member who cares, you have the power to call Sen. McSally and Sen. Sinema and plead them to have a permanent solution for Dreamers like me and 25,000 DACA recipients and close to 100,000 Dreamers too young to apply.”
Aliento in partnership with therapists will be hosting group therapy sessions online. We have also created a toolkit to provide information about the decision, mental health tips and sessions, and virtual meetings about what the decision means.
