Earlier this month, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the Trump administration will discontinue the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
The program will end in six months unless Congress takes legislative action.
DACA supporters call for permanent fix
Corey Stradling, a disabled chemist, said he is not a Trump supporter but wants to see Congress make a permanent rule concerning young illegal immigrants.
“This is something that should have been done in the first place,” Stradling said. “Obama tried to get DACA through but couldn’t get the votes for it.”
In 2012, President Barack Obama introduced DACA, a program that allows young immigrants who came to the United States illegally as children, to apply for a two-year renewable visa.
The two-year renewable visa enables them to enroll in college, work legally in the United States, obtain a driver’s license and protects them from deportation.
“Illegal immigrants take jobs typical American citizens won’t take.”
Environmental activist Allen Rey, said illegal immigrants are some of the hardest working people.
“Illegal immigrants take jobs typical American citizens won’t take,” Rey said.
According to a 2014 National Agricultural Workers survey, 27 percent of unauthorized immigrants work on fruit and vegetable farms.
Stradling said the idea of immigrants taking jobs from American workers is not true.
“I think the most qualified and dedicated person should get the job,” Stradling said. “It doesn’t matter who you are as long as you have the skills.”
American values at stake
Others say the Trump administration’s actions do not match what the founding fathers envisioned for America.
Jonathan Subia, a sales manager, said America is the place for immigrants to have a chance at the American dream and kicking them out goes against America’s values.
“It’s almost Anti-American,” Subia said.
Nearly 800,000 young undocumented people have been able to live in the United States without fear of deportation because of DACA, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
“We have the responsibility to live up to that contract agreement we gave them.”
Aircraft mechanic Courtney Hawkins said kicking young undocumented immigrants out would put the country’s STEM research behind and America is their home.
“They were born here and raised here and this is all they know,” Hawkins said.
Addie Zinone, a combat war veteran, said the children did not have a choice and their parents wanted them to have a better life
We promised them as a country that if they came out as undocumented immigrants through the DACA program that they would be safe, Zinone said.
“We have the responsibility to live up to that contract agreement we gave them,” Zinone said.
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