SIREN Calls for Permanent Solution For All on 9th Anniversary of DACA

For Immediate Release:

June 15, 2021

Contact: Jose Servin, Communications Manager, SIREN

jose@sirenimmigrantrights.org, 714-728-2520

9 Years of DACA: Temporary Solution Continues to Leave Too Many Out, 11 Million Waiting on A Permanent Solution 

California – Today is the ninth anniversary of the landmark Executive Action enacted by the Obama administration in 2012 intended to protect certain young, undocumented immigrants from deportation and allow them to work legally in the US. Since its inception, the executive order has faced legal threats and charged rhetoric from Republicans and Democrats alike. On its ninth anniversary, 634,000 DACA-recipients anxiously await a ruling by U.S District Judge Andrew Hanen that could strike down the action entirely. DACA has become a contentious policy that, on the one hand, is a lifeline for many young immigrants, who are grateful for the opportunity to work and provide for themselves and their families. On the other hand, the majority of undocumented people in the United States are left out of any form of relief, and are subject to targeting, detention and deportation by an Immigration, Customs and Enforcement (ICE) agency designed to ruthlessly dehumanize individuals and separate families.

At SIREN we believe that the only solution lies in all-inclusive, comprehensive immigration reform that provides citizenship for all 11 million undocumented people in the US, without any carveouts for individuals affected by the criminal injustice system. Undocumented people are a part of our social fabric, and they deserve the ability to exist with dignity, and to access the resources necessary to survive.

Maricela Gutierrez, Executive Director at Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network (SIREN), issued the following statement:

“Every day that we do not put forward a truly permanent immigration solution, we allow families to be separated, communities to be terrorized, and fear to spread. For those that can benefit from it, DACA is always under threat. For those that can’t, it is a moving target they cannot reach because of arbitrary restrictions, like age. We’re at a pivotal moment in history where anything less than full citizenship for all 11 million undocumented individuals in the U.S is, frankly, a political failure.”

At SIREN, we provide free legal services related to immigration, refugee, and asylum cases to protect our community from detention and deportation. We also engage in policy advocacy, community organizing and civic engagement. Every year, we assisted thousands of clients with affirmative and defensive legal services, including DACA renewals and citizenship applications.

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