STATEMENT: Reaction to Rumors on Pending Immigration action

BOLD ACTION NOT MODEST MEASURES IS NEEDED

Amidst new rumors of the Obama Administration’s upcoming executive order on immigration, the Dream Action Coalition has issued the following statement:

While we are cautiously optimistic to see that the Administration seems to be moving forward with it’s executive order, we need to remember that this could be an accidental leak, a test balloon from an official leak, or even just a high-level rumor; considering how it’s from an anonymous source, we should keep our skepticism until we see action.

“Although we are happy to see some common-sense measures like granting status to the parents of citizens and at least some DREAMers, what will happen to the rest of the members of mixed-status families? What of those DREAMers that aged out waiting for DACA?” Said Dream Action Coalition Co-Director Cesar Vargas. “Estimates of those affected from the modest information in the leaks indicate around 3 or 4 million people could attain status through their children, but that would still leave around 7 to 9 million undocumented immigrants out, many of whom would have received status under the bipartisan Gang of 8 bill.”

“It seems there are a lot of families that will be left out of this, and this doesn’t take into account the people deported that Obama recently said should not have been. What will be the value given towards family reunification for those who have deep roots in the country, a clean record and family waiting to greet them upon their return? While we know that Obama can only do patchwork immigration relief, we know that he has broad authority, and could go big and offer deportation relief and working papers to many more than just a few million,” said Erika Andiola, Co-Director of Dream Action Coalition.

“Obama’s legacy as the ‘Deporter In Chief’ won’t be wiped away with a modest measure that doesn’t change the record-setting deportation rate of his Administration,” continued Erika.