The DACA Decision

Indiana’s political and business communities are reacting to the Trump Administration’s to end the DACA program, which allows the children of undocumented immigrants to stay in the country, this spring.

U.S. Senator Todd Young

• “I continue to believe we must secure our southern border and fix our broken immigration system. Irrespective of today’s announcement, that requires a bipartisan solution in Congress that reforms our legal immigration system, prevents illegal immigration, and addresses the question of what to do with undocumented men, women and children already here.”

Jim Banks – 3rd CD

• “President Trump is fulfilling a campaign pledge by reasserting that Congress, not the executive branch, has the constitutional role of setting our country’s immigration policy. President Obama never had the legal authority to change our nation’s immigration laws.  “Congress must seize this opportunity and pass a solution that modernizes our outdated immigration policies, finally secures our border and increases enforcement to reduce illegal immigration. There is a path forward for Congress to fix our broken immigration system and resolve this situation, as President Trump has said, ‘with heart.’”

Susan Brooks – 5th CD

• “The dissolving of DACA will not take place for another six months, giving Congress time to work to provide these kids who are woven into our communities, the reassurance that they will be able to continue living their lives as they always have. I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress to find a compassionate resolution that will not punish children for the actions of their parents. Sending these children back to countries they are not familiar with is not the solution.  “This issue further emphasizes my continued belief that we must focus on reforming our nation’s broken immigration system. It is essential that our immigration system be reflective of our national interests while keeping Americans safe.”

Luke Messer – 6th CD

• “Hoosiers want us to follow the Constitution and uphold our immigration laws. President Trump’s decision today is a step toward finally addressing illegal immigration in our country,” Messer said. “Let’s remember, President Obama’s decision to unilaterally rewrite our laws was illegal. Now, Congress has its chance to pass legislation that secures our border, restores rule of law and delivers on our promises to the American people. The details of any legislation addressing DACA’s phase out will matter, and I am eager to get to work on a solution.”

Andre Carson – 7th CD

• “Today, President Trump turned his back on hundreds of thousands of fellow Americans who have only known this country as their home.   His decision to end DACA will tear families apart, make our families and communities less safe and deal a devastating blow to our nation’s economy.  Congress must immediately put politics aside and move to provide a permanent and fair solution for immigrants who arrived in the United States as children, including the nearly 10,000 DREAMers living in Indiana. DREAMers are not political bargaining chips; instead, we must keep our promise to the nearly 800,000 DACA recipients who stepped out of the shadows, applied for the program, and made meaningful contributions to their communities. While Congress needs to immediately address the DACA program, I will continue to fight for the comprehensive immigration reform which our nation so urgently needs.”

Cummins Inc. Chairman and CEO Tom Linebarger

• “The decision by the Trump Administration to rescind DACA is discriminatory, harmful and sets our country back. These young people deserve every opportunity to continue living, working, and thriving in the United States – for nearly all of them the U.S. is the only country they have ever known. This is their home.  Dreamers are our colleagues, our friends and our neighbors. They strengthen our country through daily contributions to our companies, our universities and our communities. We have a moral obligation to help these young people, protect them from living in fear, and to prevent families from being torn apart.  Cummins stands in full support of Dreamers and we ask Congress to take immediate action to pass the Dream Act or find a permanent legislative solution to support these young people before anyone is affected by this decision.  We hope that Americans speak out and make it clear to Congress and the President that we stand with the Dreamers.”

Indiana University President Michael A. McRobbie

• “Indiana University is deeply disappointed in the Trump administration’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, especially in light of the administration’s prior statements expressing support for young people protected by DACA and the strong bipartisan support that exists nationwide for maintaining the program.   “We thank House Speaker Paul Ryan and other important national leaders who have expressed their support for DACA immigrants, and we join those individuals and organizations that urge swift, fair and compassionate congressional action in the next six months to codify the provisions of the DACA policy into law and remove any question of uncertainty for the roughly 800,000 beneficiaries enrolled in the program. During this time, we will work vigorously with our state’s congressional delegation and others to enact a thoughtful policy that will meet the needs of IU’s DACA students and our state.  “We also want to assure all DACA students that we remain fully committed to ensuring a welcoming, safe and civil community for all IU students.

Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., president of the University of Notre Dame

• “A decision to discontinue DACA would be foolish, cruel and un-American. Foolish because it drives away talented people the country needs; cruel because it abandons people who have done nothing wrong and have known life only in the United States; and un-American because we have always welcomed immigrants to our land of opportunity.  In coming days, I hope to meet with congressional leaders to argue for a permanent fix to this pressing problem. In the meantime, Notre Dame will continue to support DACA students financially, maintain their enrollment even if Congress fails to act and provide expert legal assistance should it become necessary.”

Photo:  ABC 7 News