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Washington, DC - The following is a statement from Theresa Cardinal Brown, director of immigration and cross-border policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, on the Supreme Court’s decision that the DACA program was unlawfully terminated:
“While today’s decision avoids the upheaval of an immediate end to DACA protections, it does not enshrine DACA in law. The DACA program and the protections it offers to hundreds of thousands of people were hanging by a thread before this ruling and that has not changed today. The Supreme Court has put the ball squarely in Congress’ court, where it always should have been.
“President Trump should forego any further efforts to wind down the DACA program before the election, and Congress should get to work right away to permanently address the status of DACA recipients and the broader DREAMer population. Congress has shirked that responsibility for nearly three years, but it is clearer than ever that congressional action is the only solution to this quagmire.
“What’s more, Congress should want to address this in a bipartisan fashion. For Democrats, this is an opportunity to permanently protect a deserving but vulnerable population. For Republicans, this moment offers a chance to take the reins of immigration policy out of the hands of the executive and give it back to Congress, as they have long asked for. Majorities of Americans on both sides of the aisle support permanent status for this group, and majorities in Congress have voted in some form for legislation that would grant this group legal status.
“While congressional action will necessarily mean compromise and cutting a deal, only if it is narrowly tailored will it be able to win majorities in both houses. This means leaving out what may be a larger wish list for either party. There will be other times for that.
“DREAMers arrived in the United States as children, brought or sent by adults and not through their own choice. They have been living here for most of their lives, have fully integrated and are American in every way but status. America is stronger by supporting the dreams of those who want to contribute to our society. It’s time to fix this once and for all.”
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