Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen and his New York counterpart Eric Schneiderman are part of a coalition of 15 states and the District of Columbia that are suing to stop the Trump Administration from dismantling the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which was created by an executive order in 2012 during the Obama Administration.
In their complaint, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, the states claimed that rescinding DACA violated constitutional guarantees of due process and statutory administrative process mandates, resulting in economic hardships for the program”™s recipients and, by extension, the states where they reside. The complaint also charged the Trump Administration with violating the federal Administrative Procedures Act by failing to provide a period of notice and comment on its actions.
In announcing their opposition to the president”™s decision to rescind DACA ”“ which would impact approximately 800,000 illegal immigrants brought to this country as children and dubbed “Dreamers” by the program”™s supporters ”“ Jepsen stressed the potential socioeconomic chaos that this action would have on Connecticut.
“We cannot stand idly by while this administration needlessly and cruelly threatens the futures of more than 10,000 Connecticut residents,” he said. “These Dreamers are valued members of our social fabric and economy. They are our friends and neighbors, employers and employees, and students working to better themselves and their communities. For many, America is the only home they have ever really known, and they are proud to work and contribute to its success.”
Schneiderman noted that 42,000 New York residents would be impacted by the termination of DACA, and added that the president”™s actions were fueled by prejudice. “It”™s clear that President Trump”™s DACA repeal would cause huge economic harm to New York ”“ and that it”™s driven by President Trump”™s personal anti-Mexican bias,” he said, pointing out that 78 percent of individuals within the DACA program were born in Mexico.
The White House did not comment on the lawsuit, but this morning President Trump insisted that there would be no immediate enforcement actions taken against DACA recipients. The president used Twitter to announce, “For all of those (DACA) that are concerned about your status during the 6 month period, you have nothing to worry about – No action!”
