FRESNO (KMJ) — The Attorney General’s announcement that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program will be rescinded, has been branded an “unfortunate decision” by activists in Fresno.
“DACA is a program that has benefited some 800,000 people in this country, many of them in California, many of them here in the Central Valley,” explained Jesus Martinez with the Central Valley Immigrant Integration Collaborative.
He was the first of five to speak outside Downtown Fresno’s Federal Courthouse Tuesday morning, to reject the move made by Attorney General Jeff Sessions only hours earlier.
“This is a day we did not want to see happen,” followed Immigrant Legal Resource Center attorney Allison Davenport. “I think we’re all feeling a lot of emotions: anger, sadness, frustration, exasperation; but we’re also feeling determined.”
She revealed that those who have already attained legal status through DACA would continue to have that honored until it expired, and those who were in the process of applying for DACA would have their applications reviewed as normal.
“The biggest change we’re seeing right now is that the DACA program will be phased out over time. That means, as of today, no new applications will be accepted for DACA.”
Davenport described the move as a “major setback,” but adds that it also highlights DACA’s original intent.
“When President Obama announced the DACA program in 2012 he said ‘this is a stopgap measure, temporarily to protect Dreamers, while Congress passes legislation to provide them with permanent status.’
“So we all need to refocus on that vision of Dreamers having permanent lawful status and ultimately U.S. Citizenship in the United States.”
Many of the Central Valley’s political leaders have issued statements on the decision. Fresno area Congressman Jim Costa describes it as a “significant step backwards” adding that “our immigrants should not live in fear of being ripped away from their families and the country they love.” He calls on Congress to enact comprehensive immigration reform.
Hanford area Congressman David Valadao describes the legislative as failing “to repair our broken immigration system,” and that it “must come together within the next six months to reach a legislative solution.” He adds that he will “ensure those who were brought to the United States through no fault of their own are not unjustly punished.”
Tulare area Congressman Devin Nunes is also calling for Congress to solve the issue, asking for a “fair solution” and to “enact fundamental immigration reform so that we will no longer face these sorts of problems.”
Hear the report from KMJ’s Dominic McAndrew as it aired:
