Earlier this summer, the Department of Homeland Security announced that Obama-era protections for “Dreamers” — undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children — would remain in place. While some Dreamers had been already deported by ICE, it was generally good news However, President Trump is reportedly set to end those protections while letting some Dreamers remain in the U.S. until their work permits expire.
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was started in 2012 and offered work permits to undocumented immigrants who passed a background check and maintained a clean criminal record — not really the “gang members and drug dealers” Trump said they are in February. However, though after his inauguration he pledged to treat Dreamers with “great heart,” Trump made it a campaign promise to end the “illegal amnesty” the program offered
According to sources, President Trump hasn’t acted yet even after being told by Attorney General Jeff Sessions that the program is unconstitutional (according to Sessions) because he doesn’t want to make a large policy decision while facing a natural disaster in Hurricane Harvey.
“I think he’s genuinely conflicted on this and trying to figure it out,” an anonymous Republican told McClatchy DC.
Sympathetic lawmakers are hoping that when the order does become official, they will be able to work out some sort of new plan to prevent the 800,000+ Dreamers from being deported.
(Via McClatchy DC & CNN)