BPC Immigration Task Force Statement on DACA Termination
Washington, D.C.– The following is a statement from the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Immigration Task Force on President Trump’s move to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program:
“President Trump’s action to rescind DACA today is a disappointment that will unnecessarily harm hundreds of thousands of people. This deferred action approach, which enjoys bipartisan support, aimed to protect young people who were brought to the United States illegally through no fault or choice of their own. In doing so, immigration enforcement agencies have also been free to focus their limited resources on criminals and others who pose a greater risk to the nation.
“As unfortunate as today’s decision is, it underlines the fact that immigration policy is not best handled by executive orders—it is best handled by legislation. We hope Congress will see today’s action as a wake-up call.
Immigration policy is not best handled by executive orders—it is best handled by legislation.
“The young people who will be affected by today’s decision deserve better than an arbitrary process. To that end, we still believe there is room for consensus on immigration policy, and even room for a legislative solution on DACA. A pairing of policy ideas that strengthen enforcement with a more permanent status for Dreamers could gain broad support, and has the added benefit of being a sound first step.
“Ultimately, updating our immigration system is going to require legislative action, whether through one comprehensive bill or through a number of incremental changes. The system is too outdated, too broken, and too unresponsive to modern realities to serve anyone’s best interests. Congress has the power to craft a permanent solution. It’s time to act on that power.”
Immigration Task Force Co-Chairs:
Haley Barbour, former governor of Mississippi
Michael Chertoff, former secretary of Homeland Security
Henry Cisneros, former secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Ed Rendell, former governor of Pennsylvania
Immigration Task Force Members:
Howard Berman, former California congressman
Ed Brady, president, Brady Homes
Al Cardenas, senior partner, Squire Patton Boggs
David Dreier, former California congressman
Eliseo Medina, former international secretary-treasurer, Service Employees International Union
John Rowe, chairman emeritus, Exelon Corporation
John Shadegg, former Arizona congressman
Hilda Solis, former secretary of Labor
BPC’s immigration experts are available for comment.