Members of the Morristown-based immigration advocacy group Wind of the Spirit have asked Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-11th Dist.) to spare DACA, an Obama-era program that protects undocumented immigrants who came to America as children from deportation.
President Trump pledged during his campaign to eliminate the program–officially known as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program–and Fox News is reporting he may fulfill that pledge as early as Friday.
In June his administration had signaled that DACA would continue.
Wind of the Spirit members on Wednesday visited Frelinghuysen’s Morristown office and spoke to staffers.
Carlos Sotelo read aloud a letter from six GOP Congress members urging the President to spare DACA. (See video by Bill Lescohier, above.)
The Aug. 22, 2017, letter is signed by Reps. Daniel M. Donovan Jr. (NY), David Valadeo, Jeff Denham (both CAL), Don Bacon (Nebraska), and Carlos Curbelo and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (both FL).
Citing a study by the CATO Institute, the Congressional group said deporting the approximately 750,000 people registered in DACA would cost more than $60 billion in lost revenue, and would bring a $280 billion reduction in economic growth over the next decade.
The money could be better spent targeting criminals, the letter said.
“it is in the best interests of our nation to continue DACA until we can pass a permanent legislative solution, such as the Republican-backed Recognizing America’s Children Act,” the lawmakers asserted.
Frelinghuysen, who chairs the powerful House Appropriations Committee, did not meet with the Morristown activists.
Trump is the American dream killer and Rodney is his accomplice if he doesn’t sign this letter urging Trump to spare DACA.
DACA has promoted positive educational and employment outcomes and has been a major driver of economic growth—for individuals and families, as well as cities and states that reap the benefits of new tax dollars from large purchases and new jobs.
By refusing to support DACA, Rodney is telling us that it is more important to him to keep Trump’s base happy and to keep his Chairmanship than it is to listen to his constituents.