Donald Trump will reportedly end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, known as DACA, according to a new report from Politico.
DACA, an immigration policy championed by former President Barack Obama and passed in June 2012, provides protection for young people who enter America as minors, offering two years of deferred action on possible deportation and making them eligible for work permits. Eligibility for the work permits is contingent on several different factors; illegal immigrants had to have entered America prior to their 16th birthday, have no criminal record above the petty misdemeanor level, and are required to be either high school graduates or honorable discharges from the military.
The policy was attacked by Republicans when it was first passed under Obama, and Trump made immigration one of the central issues during his campaign for the presidency. An announcement of the policy's end is expected to come from the White House on Tuesday (Sept. 5).
Be that as it may, Politico's Eliana Johnson says there will be a six-month delay before DACA comes to a close, perhaps because of conversations between Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Sessions reportedly argued that Congress is responsible for immigration law, which could be a factor in the delay.
In the moments immediately following the reported decision, critics lashed out at Trump for what they view as a cruel decision, targeting the sort of high-achieving immigrants the country is meant to value.
Trump's going to end DACA because his only guiding principle is doing what's cruel and wrong.
Pardons for racist sheriffs who defy court orders, deportations for folks who crossed the border illegally when they were six years old.
Donald Trump is a white nationalist President. The Republican Party is a white nationalist party. https://t.co/GdkPOWLjO7
Charlottesville, Arpaio, DACA...
It was never about economic anxiety.
DACA is still in effect. And we need to keep fighting for it. #DefendDACA #HereToStay
Another subset of angry responders pointed to Obama's influence on DACA, and accused Trump of stripping away the policy simply because it was attached to the former President's name.
Trump ended DACA because Obama.
.@BarackObama's last White House news conference, Jan 18: ending DACA "would be something that would merit me speaking out." https://t.co/GEbmVwf9qF
Let's get something straight. Trump is ending DACA because Obama created it. That's what Trump's agenda is... destroy everything Obama did
Let's be clear, wanting to destroy every good thing President Obama did, pure racism is trump's reason for wanting to end DACA, not policy.
Trump's reported decision comes mere hours after CNN revealed the full letter he received from Obama upon his inauguration. Within the letter, the outgoing president made note of the need to help the less fortunate people around the country.
"We've both been blessed, in different ways, with great good fortune," read Obama's message to Trump. "Not everyone is so lucky. It's up to us to do everything we can (to) build more ladders of success for every child and family that's willing to work hard."
