STATEMENT: CAP Action’s Angela Maria Kelley on Oral Arguments in United States v. Texas
Today’s oral arguments underscored the human stakes in this case and the impact an adverse ruling would have on families across the country. Millions of Americans share a household with a person eligible for DAPA, and opponents of these policies are instead advocating for the deportation of their family members—parents of 5 million U.S. citizens and children who know no other home than the United States.
In addition to enjoying broad support with most Americans, DAPA and expanded DACA are constitutionally sound. We ultimately expect to prevail when the Court renders its decision later this spring. But these continued attacks on immigrants and their families must also stop, and we must return to the values representative of a nation of immigrants, moving beyond tolerance to acceptance. The vital role played by immigrants in our country is unquestioned and the damage done by anti-immigrant policies and rhetoric has reverberated through communities all over America.
We look forward to a Supreme Court ruling that unfreezes DAPA and expanded DACA and begins to unlock the extraordinary impact of the immigrant community in our country, from thousands of news jobs and billions in GDP growth to stronger, safer, more prosperous communities.
The following experts are available to comment on this topic:
- Angela Kelley, Executive Director, Center for American Progress Action Fund
- Tom Jawetz, Vice President, Immigration, Center for American Progress Action Fund
- Philip E. Wolgin, Managing Director, Immigration, Center for American Progress Action Fund
- Lizet Ocampo, Associate Director, Immigration, Center for American Progress Action Fund
- Jennifer Molina, Communications Associate, Center for American Progress Action Fund
- Ian Millhiser, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress Action Fund
Related resources from CAP:
- DAPA Matters to U.S. Citizen Family Members in States Across the Country by Lizet Ocampo (en español)
- Video: Everything You Need to Know About United States v. Texas by Lizet Ocampo, Tom Jawetz, Andrew Satter, and Kulsum Ebrahim (en español)
- 4 Reasons Why States Suing to Stop Immigration Actions Stand to Lose Big by Tom Jawetz (en español)
- State-by-State Analysis of the Economic Impact of DACA, DAPA, and DACA Expansion by Silva Mathema
- Assessing the Economic Impacts of Granting Deferred Action Through DACA and DAPA by Silva Mathema
- The High Cost of Delaying DAPA and Expanded DACA by Silva Mathema (en español)
- Results from a Nationwide Survey of DACA Recipients Illustrate the Program’s Impact by Tom K. Wong, Kelly K. Richter, Ignacia Rodriguez, and Philip E. Wolgin (en español)
- The Economic Benefits and Electoral Implications of DAPA by Lizet Ocampo
For questions or to speak to an expert, please contact Benton Strong at 202.481.8142 or bstrong1@americanprogressaction.org or Tanya S. Arditi at tarditi@americanprogressaction.org or 202.741.6258.