On September 5, 2017, in New York, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the rescission of the DACA program, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which was introduced during the administration of former President Barack Obama. It is reported that 800,000 people will be affected by the termination of this program. So, what exactly is the DACA program?
In 2012, the Obama administration introduced the DACA program, which allowed unauthorized immigrants who entered the United States before 2007 under the age of 16 to receive deferred action from deportation and apply for two-year work permits. DACA stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Simply put, it allows those who came to the United States with their parents or immediate family members when they were young and had no agency to continue living and working legally in the United States, without being forcibly deported back to their countries of origin.
Regarding this matter, the former U.S. President also issued a statement saying: "Targeting these young people is wrong. Because they have done nothing wrong. It is self-defeating. These young people want to start new businesses, serve in the military, and contribute to our country. The reality, however, is cruel."
Obama wrote: "This is a political decision. It is a moral issue." "Whatever concerns or complaints Americans may have about immigration in general, we should not threaten the future of these young people who are here, who pose no threat, who are not taking anything away from us."
Sessions stated that the DACA program was "unconstitutional" and that it denied jobs to Americans. He asserted that the Department of Justice could not defend this type of program. He indicated that the administration would "dismantle" this Obama-era program. Sessions argued that the program was an "unconstitutional" exercise of authority, amounting to a "unilateral executive amnesty."
Due to opposition against the Trump administration's decision to rescind DACA, demonstrations and protests took place in cities such as New York and Los Angeles. On September 5, a large number of immigrants gathered near Trump Tower in New York to hold a protest march. Protesters chanted slogans such as, "We are here, we are not leaving," to protest President Trump's decision to rescind DACA. The protesters also demanded that the U.S. Congress pass legislation to provide a more permanent solution for all unauthorized immigrants in the United States.