Hernandez Condemns Trump Administration for Ending DACA

CICERO, Ill.– State Rep. Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez, D-Cicero, member of the Latino Caucus, issued the following statement after the Trump Administration announced it was ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, which was put in place by former President Barack Obama after Congress failed to enact comprehensive immigration reform:

“The decision to end DACA demonstrates once again that President Donald Trump and the people he surrounds himself with belong to  an administration that lacks the empathy and compassion to protect the ideals and values of our country. By ending DACA, Donald Trump has put the lives of 42,000 hardworking young people in Illinois at immediate risk. If they lose DACA without permanent legislation in place, they will lose the ability to work legally and be subject to immediate deportation.

“Dreamers were brought into this country by their parents when they were infants. They were raised in this country, educated in our local schools, and often have no idea they’re undocumented until they apply for a job, college, or a driver’s license. They are community members, students, teachers, nurses, and engineers. They pay taxes, and contribute to our economy just like everyone else. They are American in every aspect except for one, on paper.

“Republican governors and elected officials across the country have come out against this shameful plan, but we have yet to see Gov. Bruce Rauner take a clear stance in opposition to it. As the governor of the state with the fifth largest Latino population, he cannot sit by idly while 42,000 young people in Illinois face the risk of being separated from their families. The Illinois TRUST Act was just the beginning and there’s more work to be done in order to ensure the rights of all people are protected. I urge Gov. Rauner to speak up for Dreamers and to denounce the plan for what it is, a sign of hate by the leader of his party.”