Community responds to possible DACA termination
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Right now nearly a million immigrants are on edge, awaiting President Donald Trumps decision on what to do with DACA.
Since 2012, Defferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) has given young immigrants protection from deportation and a work permit.
Those protections are now in jeopardy and people across the country are responding.
“I think its about keeping together families, its about keeping families whole, keeping families together, keeping communities whole," said La Casa de Amistad Executive Director Sam Centellas.
Thursday, Centellas telling ABC 57 what he’d tell President Trump, in an effort to keep a program he knows well.
"We work with DACA students we estimate around 1200 people in our community that have DACA, working, college students, your children's teammates," said Centellas.
Centellas says Thursday's Fox News report that President Trump is soon expected to announce the end of DACA, could spell disaster for immigrants relying on the program.
“We're talking about 1200 people that could by the strike of a pen not be able to go to work tomorrow who aren’t sure if able to stay in school aren’t sure what happen to their children," said Centellas.
Across the U.S., Centellas says nearly 1 million immigrants would be at risk of deportation.
Thursday, University of Notre Dame President John Jenkins, issuing this statement:
“We urge the president to continue to give status to young people who have done nothing wrong, most of whom have only known life in the united states and who will make important contributions to it. Notre Dame intends to support these students and asks the administration to do the same.”
Also Thursday, Homeland Security Advisor Tom Bossert telling reporters, "I think what you'll see is that my position today is that the administration is still reviewing the policy.”
Centallas also offered advice to anyone with DACA with any questions about its status. He says they should call only authorized legal advisers for advice.
He says La Casa de Amistad has accredited personnel who can provide help, if needed.