Commentary: The news that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, along with the Attorneys General of six other Republican states, has filed a lawsuit seeking to end DACA is a disgusting reminder of the ongoing GOP assault against Dreamers and immigrants in America.
According to Juan Escalante, a DACA recipient and the Communications Manager at America’s Voice, “Once again, hundreds of thousands of aspiring Americans are reminded that leaders in the country to which they pledge allegiance and to which they are actively contributing to are trying to deport them. Dreamers across the country, including me and my brothers, want to live our lives free from the constant fear of deportation and with certainty, dignity, and respect. The Republican Party continues to stand in the way and attack hard-working young people who call America home.”
According to Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice, “It’s outrageous that seven Republican-controlled states are devoting time and resources to try and block Dreamers from fulfilling their potential in America. They are messing with young people who have grown up here and are Americans in every way but a piece of paper. Sadly, it fits neatly into the larger story of the Republican Party these days. Most of the GOP has embraced a full-throttle policy agenda to kick out and keep out immigrants and refugees and a political program designed to stoke fears and demonize the other. This stands in stark contrast with the views and ideals of the majority of Americans. The bottom line is that the nation backs Dreamers even as the GOP works to expel them.”
As a reminder, President Trump originally ended DACA after a coordinated pressure campaign and threats from Paxton and hardliners in the Trump Administration. Then Trump and the White House went back on their word and blocked a series of bipartisan legislative compromises that would have legalized Dreamers. Now, with more than 80 percent of Americans in support of protecting Dreamers – including a majority of Republican voters – most Republicans in Congress, from leadership through the rank and file, have failed to stand up for Dreamers while supporting and enabling the Trump Administration’s broader xenophobic agenda.
As the case moves into the courtroom of Judge Andrew Hanen, a notorious hardliner, who is supposed to defend DACA and stand up for Dreamers? Paxton and the Department of Justice under Jeff Sessions worked together to engineer the end of DACA in the first place. Meanwhile, the GOP’s 2018 political strategy appears to be little more than a callous strategy of stoking fears and dehumanizing immigrants.
Concluded Sharry, “The Republicans’ assault on immigrants is in overdrive. It’s outrageous, disgusting and directly at odds with both our best national traditions and the wishes of the American people.”
Follow Frank Sharry and America’s Voice on Twitter: @FrankSharry and @AmericasVoice
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