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June 18, 2020 By Allie Griffin
Queens leaders celebrated the Supreme Court’s decision today blocking President Donald Trump from ending the DACA program.
The Court ruled, 5-4, that Trump cannot terminate the “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals” or DACA program that protects people unlawfully brought into the country as young children from deportation.
The news was welcomed by elected officials in Queens, which is home to hundreds of thousands of immigrants.
“Today’s ruling keeps young immigrants out of the shadows, and is one victory in the fight against this Administration’s perpetual attempts to peddle state-sanctioned discrimination and xenophobia,” Acting Queens Borough President Sharon Lee said in a statement.
Council Member Daniel Dromm said he was elated to hear of the decision, as an elected official whose district is home to many immigrants.
“The Supreme Court’s ruling protects DACA recipients from the Trump administration’s cruel and capricious attempt to end the program,” he said in a statement. “Such utter disregard for the rule of law would have upended the lives of countless Americans, both citizens and the undocumented.”
The Court ruled that the Trump administration didn’t provide significant justification for ending the program, which President Barack Obama launched in 2012.
DACA allows people who were brought to the U.S. before they turned 16 to apply for a temporary status that protects them from deportation and allows they to work. The protection lasts for two years and must be renewed.
DACA recipients, also known as Dreamers, must have graduated from high school, received a GED or have been honorably discharged from the U.S. armed forces. They also must not have committed any serious crimes.
State Sen. Jessica Ramos celebrated the decision on Twitter, calling it a victory for Dreamers, the young people protected by DACA.
“The SCOTUS vote to preserve DACA will protect 700,000 young immigrants from deportation, including thousands of students #SeenIn13!” she wrote.
Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer also Tweeted his praise.
“On the heels of the massive win for LGBTQ people, SCOTUS defeats @realDonaldTrump efforts to tear lives apart! A big win over Trump’s cruelty,” he wrote.
