WASHINGTON— In response to media reports that Donald Trump is considering ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which has allowed hundreds of thousands of young immigrants to pursue careers and education without fear of deportation, People For the American Way Political Director Lizet Ocampo issued the following statement.

“There’s no defensible reason for Donald Trump to end DACA. Any attempt to undermine this program would be an attack on immigrant communities and a clear sign that the president cares more about his standing among the kinds of far-right zealots we saw in Charlottesville than the lives of young people all across the country. This decision shouldn’t be about scoring political points—it should be about the 800,000 people who would be harmed if DACA were to be ended. Ending DACA would make our country weaker, poorer and more divided.

“Donald Trump said that he would show ‘great heart’ towards the Dreamers that DACA protects. Instead of pandering to the far Right, he should take the opportunity to build on DACA’s success by working with Congress to create a full path to citizenship for the Dreamers whose lives are at stake.”

People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and defend constitutional values including free expression, religious liberty, equal justice under the law, and the right to meaningfully participate in our democracy.

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