We will not lose hope: Next steps after the DACA rescission
MIRA Executive Director Eva A. Millona speaks at a press event with, from right, U.S. Senator Edward Markey, Attorney General Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Martin Walsh.
BOSTON, September 5, 2017 – Today, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which has enabled more than 7,900 Massachusetts residents to come out of the shadows, attend college and work legally, will be phased out.
MIRA hosted a press conference with U.S. Senator Edward Markey, Attorney General Maura Healey, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, Boston Schools Supt. Tommy Chang, community leaders and two Dreamers, and Executive Director Eva A. Millona issued the following statement:
Our hearts ache for our Dreamers today. We want every DACA beneficiary to know we stand with you, and we will work relentlessly to ensure that you’re safe and have the resources you need.
The Trump administration has been relentlessly anti-immigrant. Now, just days after defying due process to pardon a rogue sheriff, the President wants us to believe he’s acting out of respect for the law, but this is pure political pandering, at the expense of 800,000 innocent, hard-working people.
Read more: We will not lose hope: Next steps after the DACA rescission
DACA ending: What you can do as a Dreamer – or ally
The program has transformed the lives of nearly 800,000 young people, enabling them to study, work and fully participate in their communities. Now we must fight to protect them.
Established by President Obama in 2012, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) has allowed undocumented immigrant youth who meet strict requirements to apply for “deferred action” and obtain a Social Security number and a work permit, subject to renewal every two years.
Almost 800,000 young people across the U.S. have benefited, including more than 7,900 in Massachusetts. But now the Trump administration has said it will end DACA.
What can you do?
Read more: DACA ending: What you can do as a Dreamer – or ally
Scholarship brings college dreams closer for 10 Boston students
With contributions from over 100 donors, the program was able to award $24,000 to 10 undocumented immigrants, all 2017 graduates of the city’s high schools.
BOSTON, September 1, 2017 – Several aspire to caring professions: nurse, surgeon, pediatrician, teacher. One will study international relations and hopes to work at the United Nations. Another aims to become an FBI agent.
All 10 are undocumented immigrants – some protected by Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or Temporary Protected Status (TPS), some living completely in the shadows. Without papers, they don’t qualify for federal financial aid; those without DACA don’t even qualify for in-state tuition at Massachusetts public colleges and universities.
But this week, the 10 young women got good news: The Unafraid Scholarship, started by a group of educators under the auspices of the Boston Teachers Union, distributed $24,000 in grants to help them cover the cost of their first year of college.
Read more: Scholarship brings college dreams closer for 10 Boston students
Take action to protect immigrant rights!
- Find online "Know Your Rights" resources in English, Spanish and other languages.
- Request a "Know Your Rights" workshop in your town or region.
- Learn what public health professionals can do to protect undocumented residents and their families.
- Find out actions school officials can take to protect undocumented students.
- Report bias incidents to the Attorney General's anti-harassment hotline.
- And check out MIRA's Facebook page for local events and actions.
The time to act is now: Support the Safe Communities Act!
From the Boston Tea Party to the anti-slavery and marriage equality movements, Massachusetts has been a leader on civil rights. We need to show that same courage again today.
One in six Massachusetts residents is an immigrant. Yet under the Trump administration, our immigrant friends, neighbors and coworkers are being demonized and targeted for mass deportation. The federal government wants state and local law enforcement to serve as “force multipliers” for its crackdown on immigrants. The Safe Communities Act would stop that from happening in our state.
The Safe Communities Act protects the civil rights, safety and well-being of all residents by drawing a clear line between immigration enforcement and public safety. Sponsored by State Sen. Jamie Eldridge (S.1305) and State Rep. Juana Matías (H.3269), it ensures that our tax dollars are not used to help the Trump administration deport immigrant families or create a Muslim registry.
Nearly half the Massachusetts Legislature has co-sponsored the bill, and more than 100 organizations have endorsed it so far. On June 9, 2017, hundreds of people came to show their support at a hearing by the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, with testimony from elected officials, to civil rights leaders, health care providers, educators and community members.
Now we need your help to keep up the momentum!
