Protests erupted across the country in the wake of President Trump’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which he deferred to Attorney General Jeff Sessions to confirm on Tuesday morning. The decision ends an Obama-era amnesty that protected those brought to the US illegally as minors from deportation.
“The program known as DACA that was effectuated under the Obama administration has been rescinded,” Sessions said in an announcement. “The policy was implemented unilaterally, to great controversy and legal concern … the executive branch, through DACA, deliberately sought to achieve what the legislative branch specifically refused to authorize.”
In Washington, at least 150 immigration activists gathered in front of the White House to condemn Trump’s decision, which strongly contradicts his previous remarks promising that he would uphold the protections that over 800,000 immigrants brought into the country as children rely on. Gustavo Torres, executive director of the immigration advocacy organization CASA, said in a statement, “This president lied to the community. For many months, he said, ‘I love the Dreamers.’ He lied to us, we cannot trust him. We are going to keep fighting, we are going to keep registering people to vote.”
Likewise, protests also broke out outside of the Trump Tower in New York City, in what is being called “mass civil disobedience,” in addition to planned marches on the ICE headquarters in Phoenix and other locations around the country.
https://twitter.com/sahluwal/status/905095302679375872
https://twitter.com/ShaunKing/status/905093599158784001
#DACA recipients and community prepare to march to ICE Headquarters in Phoenix to protest the decision to end the Dream Act. #arizona pic.twitter.com/AjuY69BN9J
— caitlin o’hara (@caitlin_oh) September 5, 2017
Protesters have arrived at Immigration and Customs Enforcement & have sat down. #DACA pic.twitter.com/LvJ98DzvpD
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) September 5, 2017
LIVE: Denver students march out of schools in protest of #DACA being rescinded https://t.co/iglmzS245B pic.twitter.com/cXsuJdlqrl
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) September 5, 2017
Hundreds of Denver high school students rally in historic La Alma park against #DACA pic.twitter.com/L0g8cweH1y
— Sole (@mcsole) September 5, 2017
Aztlan flag leads Denver high school #DACA march pic.twitter.com/W8gHnqqWqQ
— Sole (@mcsole) September 5, 2017
https://twitter.com/sahluwal/status/905113359648866304
#TXST students host sit in on steps of Alkek, in response to @POTUS decision to end the #DACA program. 11:30 to 3 #SMTX @UniversityStar pic.twitter.com/FcWbEOmYdp
— Shayan (@shayanfaradineh) September 5, 2017
https://twitter.com/parthvohra622/status/905109677075288065
Growing crowd in front of @SenThomTillis's offices in Raleigh, urging him to #DefendDACA #DefendDREAMers #HereToStay pic.twitter.com/IsGX9JzbiM
— ACLU of North Carolina (@ACLU_NC) September 5, 2017
.@LULAC staff protesting @realDonaldTrump decision to end a #DACA today. pic.twitter.com/qJd2JBgONS
— Brent Wilkes 🐀 (@BrentWilkes) September 5, 2017
"Stop Pretending Your Racism is Patriotism" #DACA #DefendDACA ##DefendDreamers DC pic.twitter.com/lnHQLeRZ5R
— #StopCopCity (@ChuckModi1) September 5, 2017
In the meantime, despite numerous protests as well as opposition from both sides of the political aisle, Trump seems as determined as ever to undo as much of Obama’s policy as he’s able to accomplish.