WASHINGTON, DC – DACA recipients on FWD.us’ staff released the following statement today on the 8-year anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program:

“For decades, Dreamers like us who came to the United States as children have fought tirelessly to be fully acknowledged as human beings in the only country we know as home. While we continue to advocate for justice and full equality for all immigrants, today we celebrate the door of opportunity that DACA opened for so many of us since the program’s inception eight years ago.

“DACA has been a lifeline, enabling hundreds of thousands of Dreamers to come out of the shadows, pursue higher education and build our careers and families in the United States. It has allowed us to do both incredible and very ordinary things, from launching businesses that employ American citizens, to accessing a driver’s license so we can travel safely to school. Today, nearly 30,000 DACA recipients are healthcare professionals fighting on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic, helping to save American lives in the midst of a global health emergency while grappling with the uncertainty that DACA could end in a matter of days.

“As the Supreme Court considers the futures of nearly 700,000 Dreamers, our hearts remain especially heavy for our Black siblings with DACA who shoulder the trauma of pervasive policing, systemic racism and mass incarceration that targets Black people and communities of color. We stand in solidarity with the movement to defend Black lives and remain committed to fighting against these injustices.

“We also urge the Trump Administration to drop its appeal to end DACA at the Supreme Court and instead extend DACA renewals. The President can – and should – do this today. We also urge Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to show meaningful leadership and take up the Dream and Promise Act immediately, which would provide us with a pathway to citizenship and much needed relief from the cruelty of this Administration. Standing idle in the midst of desperately needed legislative action is a deeply cowardly and catastrophic moral failure. Dreamers – and Americans – deserve better.”