On 10th Anniversary of DACA, Mainers Still Wait for Citizenship
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 14, 2022
CONTACT: Lisa Parisio, lparisio@ilapmaine.org
PORTLAND, ME – June 15th marks the 10th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, established by President Obama in 2012. DACA provides temporary relief from deportation and work authorization to certain young undocumented immigrants, commonly referred to as “Dreamers.”
DACA recipients must renew their status every other year, paying hundreds of dollars in fees. While DACA has provided dozens of young people in Maine with opportunities that would have otherwise not been possible, they still hang in legal limbo and uncertainty, forced to live life in two-year increments.
Read the stories of two of Maine’s Dreamers on the anniversary of DACA here.
In solidarity with Maine’s DACA recipients and other DACA recipients and undocumented people across the nation, Maine immigrant rights groups released the following statements:
Crystal Cron, Executive Director, Presente! Maine said: “Ten years later, DACA continues to be a testament to the talent and power of immigrant youth organizers across the United States. The anniversary reminds us of the incredible contributions DACA recipients and other undocumented youth make to their communities and to our country every single day, despite the obstacles they face. Congress must act - it is past time to make official what has always been true: DACA recipients are home and the United States is their country.”
Mufalo Chitam, Executive Director, Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition (MIRC) said: “As we honor immigrant youth today, we also honor their parents and the unimaginable sacrifices they made to bring their children to the United States in search of safety and a better life. We call for justice for whole families, for whole communities. Congress must act for all of our undocumented brothers and sisters in Maine and across the nation.”
Sue Roche, Executive Director, Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP) said: “When President Obama announced DACA ten years ago he called it a ‘temporary stopgap measure.’ It was a call to action for Congress that we renew today. The limbo and uncertainty for immigrant youth must end – it’s both unjust and bad policy for the country. Citizenship now is the clear and only solution.”