Yesterday, Fox News reported that Trump is poised to let the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program expire. Make no mistake letting the program expire or however else the administration may try to spin their actions, is the same as ending DACA outright. (Need more information about DACA? Check out our explainer video here.) If Trump ends DACA, he is breaking his promise to treat dreamers with “heart.”
The official announcement has not been made yet, but activists and communities around the nation are bracing for this possible outcome.
What’s at stake? Ending DACA will cause 800,000 young people to lose their jobs and face the risk of immediate deportation. Communities and families will be devastated, and Dreamers will lose the only home they’ve ever known: the U.S. Additionally, the end of DACA would have massive negative impacts on our economy. Removing roughly 700,000 workers from the economy would forego $460.3 billion in GDP over the next decade. A report by the Center for American Progress found that ending DACA could cost states billions of dollars—such as $1.6 billion from New Jersey and $6.3 billion from Texas. In Harris County, Texas, one of the hardest hit areas from Hurricane Harvey, the repeal of DACA would force 28,000 workers out of jobs.
The possible elimination of DACA caused widespread backlash from across the political spectrum. Fox contributor and self-avowed Trump supporter, Geraldo Rivera, said this morning that if Trump ends DACA, “all of the false statements about the cruelty of Donald Trump will be true.” Two immigrant members of Congress—Rep. Rubén Kihuen and Rep. Adriano Espaillat—penned a letter to the President asking him to “consider their life stories before making a decision.” Several university presidents, including those of Harvard, University of Arkansas, and Notre Dame, voiced their support for dreamers. Over 400 business leaders, including Craig Silliman of Verizon and Satya Nadella of Microsoft, put out statements to let Trump know how crucial DACA is or signed the FWD.us letter. And, a group of Republicans are working to force a vote on the Bridge Act—an act that would provide protections to dreamers. Even House Speaker Paul Ryan and Sen. Orrin Hatch said this morning that Trump should not repeal DACA, with Ryan calling for a legislative solution. Ryan’s statements make it crucial that he call up the bipartisan Dream Act when Congress is back in session.
Despite the Fox report and other rumors, now is not the time to be silent! Join activists, business leaders, university presidents, politicians, and TV personalities to say loud and clear: The fight isn’t over, and we will never stop standing with dreamers. Read below on ways you can get involved TODAY.
ACTION OF THE DAY
#DefendDACA. With Trump’s DACA decision nearing, it’s crucial we make our voices louder than ever. Make it clear that you #StandWithDreamers, and they are #HereToStay. Hold your member of Congress accountable! Use this easy tool to call key elected officials, and urge them to #DefendDACA. You can call your own representative here.
Take action in your local community. Share our DACA explainer video so that your friends know how important this program is too. Then, grab a couple friends, and head to a rally in support of dreamers. You can find events happening near you here.
WHAT’S TRENDING
ACA Sabotage. The Trump administration continued damaging the Affordable Care Act (ACA) when it announced yesterday that it would cut funding for promoting health care enrollment by 90% during the upcoming open enrollment season. The funding—which will be slashed from $100 million to $10 million—is crucial to inform consumers of their options and encourage participation in the ACA. But, with Trump promising the demise of the ACA, sabotaging it may be the only way to achieve that goal without legislation. See how else Trump has undermined the ACA here.
Labor Day. This weekend, as you enjoy a day off and the remaining days of summer with friends and family, it’s important to remember what Labor Day is actually celebrating—the incredible progress of workers’ rights. When unions are strong, they are able to boost all workers’ wages—regardless of whether they are members of a union, reduce poverty and strengthen the middle class. But the fight for workers’ rights isn’t over. Workers across the country will be on strike this Labor Day to demand $15 and a union. Unions are under attack by corporate interests, and many workers still aren’t paid fair wages. So this Labor Day, let’s honor those who have fought so hard for weekends, fair compensation, paid leave, and more by standing up for those who still need more protections in their jobs.
Overtime. Speaking of labor rights…Yesterday, a Texas federal judge struck down an Obama-era rule that would have provided overtime protections for over 4 million workers throughout the country. Ben Olinsky, the vice president of policy and strategy at the Center for American Progress, noted that this decision “is a huge loss…[and] Secretary Alexander Acosta and President Donald Trump should stand up for workers by appealing this ruling immediately.”
Help From the IRS. Yesterday, The Daily Beast reported that Special Counsel Robert Mueller has now asked for the IRS’s help in his investigation of Russia and the Trump campaign. Specifically, he’s teaming up with the IRS’s Criminal Investigations unit, which “focus[es] exclusively on financial crime, including tax evasion and money laundering.” Maybe it’s making Trump a little nervous, as he resorted back to attacking Hillary Clinton on Twitter this morning.
GOOD NEWS
We’re All In This Together. Reading reports and seeing images from Texas after the devastation of Hurricane Harvey can be tough to stomach. But there are moments of hope and humanity. Check out these photos and these videos showing people pitching in to help their neighbors–human and animals alike. Hear heartwarming stories from Texans. And learn how social media has become a tool for people around the world to lend a hand.