Religious Leaders React to DACA

Termination of the program have been opposed by members sitting on both sides of the political divide

President Donald Trump announced on September 5, the complete rollback of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA[/tweetit]. The program will be winded down by the Trump administration. It took U.S. Congress about six months to make a decision on the action to take on DACA protected immigrants.

Religious Leaders React to DACA[/tweetthis]

The DACA, after it came into existence in 2012, has assisted about 800,000 young immigrants. All of them came into the country illegally by their parents. The DHS or Department of Homeland Security said that starting immediately, no new applications will be accepted into DACA program. However, present recipients will not be affected until March 5. Jeff Sessions, the attorney general, said that the time period will allow members of Congress to take a constructive decision. He mentioned that the implementation of DACA by President Barack Obama is an example of executive branch's exercise of authority which can only be described as unconstitutional.

The DACA legal branch does not offer legal status for the youth it covers. However, recipients are provided a temporary reprieve from being deported. They are also given employment authorization in U.S. The recipients must satisfy a few criteria to enjoy these advantages.

About 300 religious leaders have sent letters to President Trump urging him to cancel the DACA program. They have failed. The Evangelical Immigration Table organized the letters and dispatched them to Trump, Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader, and Paul Ryan, the Speaker, both of them Republicans. Even Republicans had urged the GOP President not to terminate the program. House Speaker Ryan and Orrin Hatch, the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee is among them.

Mike Pence, the Vice President of the United States, released a statement from President Trump. The statement said, “in the best interests of country and in keeping with the office of POTUS' obligations, the Department of Homeland Security will begin the orderly transition and wind down of DACA." 

From @POTUS: In best interests of country & keeping w/ office of POTUS obligations @DHSgov will begin orderly transition & wind-down of DACA pic.twitter.com/UHXpulFSWs

— Vice President Pence (@VP) September 5, 2017

The DACA ended on the prodding of Republican heads like Ken Paxton, the attorney general of Texas, who along with other state attorneys, sent a letter to Trump demanding that the DACA program must be ended. Paxton applauded the president's decision to end the program. The Texas attorney general stated that the Obama era program went much beyond the legitimate authority of the executive branch. Nancy Pelosi, the House Democratic Leader, termed the decision by Trump a cruel one to attack young people in America.

.@realDonaldTrump’s cruel decision to attack America’s young people is nothing short of shameful. https://t.co/u9jD79ZrKR pic.twitter.com/WAORpLO1IM

— Nancy Pelosi (@NancyPelosi) September 5, 2017

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