[Editor’s note: The following statement was issued by the Washington, D.C. office of the JACL.]
WASHINGTON — The Japanese American Citizens League is relieved by the Supreme Court decision to bar the termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program for the time being. We agree with the Court’s opinion that the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to end DACA was “arbitrary and capricious.”
Created in 2012, The DACA program is an overwhelmingly supported program that has granted status to over 800,000 undocumented immigrants. With over 120,000 DACA-eligible AAPIs, the continued existence of DACA ensures that many in our community can continue to build families, pursue education, and work without fear and threat of deportation.
That being said, DACA is not the end all be all, nor is it safe from being challenged again. We celebrate this small victory and continue to fight for the passing of a clean Dream Act and more just immigration policies.
