Commentary: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) released the following statement regarding President Trump's decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program:
"President Trump's decision to end DACA protections is a heartless and grave mistake. We should never be a country that kicks out some of our best and brightest students. In the five years since its implementation, DACA has changed the lives of many of our brightest students and veterans who have come out of the shadows to earn an education, contribute to our economy, and give back to their communities and their country. I’ve had the privilege of meeting DREAMers in New Mexico and sharing their inspiring stories. These young people are smart, inspiring, and most of them don't know how to be anything but American.
"We should not be a nation that tears families apart. I will not stand for policies that are contrary to our fundamental American ideals and values. I know how hard immigrants work, how much they believe in this country, how much they're willing to give back, and how different my own life would be if America had turned my father away when he immigrated here as a young boy.
"The fight is not over. I will continue to stand with DREAMers and defend the promise DACA represents for thousands of young people across New Mexico."
Senator Heinrich supports the bipartisan DREAM Act introduced by Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). Earlier this year, Senator Heinrich introduced the Protect DREAMer Confidentiality Act of 2017 to safeguard the private information—such as addresses and telephone numbers—of DREAMers to ensure that they are not targeted by the Trump Administration for deportation.