EAST HARTFORD -- About 100 young immigrants in Connecticut , both documented and undocumented, will be heading down to Washington, DC, to defend undocumented immigrants for a National Day of Action.
They'll be joining thousands of youths around the country to defend the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, also known as DACA. Today is the fifth anniversary of DACA, meaning it has been five years since a total of 800,000 immigrant youth in the country, and 5,000 in Connecticut, have been able to get legal protection, go to college, and support their families.
This program is now at risk since ten Attorneys General sent a letter to President Donald Trump threatening to sue if the administration doesn’t end the DACA program by September 5.
They gathered early this morning in East Hartford at around 3 a.m. to get a head start down to DC. Another bus will be picking people up from other parts of Connecticut, like Bridgeport, Norwalk, New Haven and Willimantic. In the end, that will total about 100 people on their way to DC. The group will return to the state at around midnight.
Governor Dannel P. Malloy and Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman released the following statements on the fifth anniversary of DACA:
“DACA is a prudent policy that ultimately strengthens our country and provides for a brighter future for not only immigrants, but for all Americans. Over the past five years, those who have benefited from DACA have emerged from the shadows and are working towards realizing the great American dream. These young people are attending college, starting businesses, and becoming leaders in their communities. Each new generation of immigrants enriches the American experience, and as a nation of immigrants, we have principled obligation to ensure that the youth in our country are given every opportunity to succeed – and DACA does just that, ” Malloy said,
“My grandfather came here from Austria and like so many immigrants before him, he helped build this country. He worked hard, was engaged in his community, and achieved the American dream – a job, a home, and a place to belong. For centuries, immigrants have made this country stronger, lending their labor, service, and love to an ideal – and all the people who share this ideal. It’s our turn now to protect that path for those who want to contribute to our nation, those who already consider themselves Americans, but for where they were born. DACA serves our national interests – ensuring our educated young people can contribute to our communities and the economy,” Wyman said,
