PRESS STATEMENT
Thursday, June 29, 2017
Contact: Stephanie Teatro | Stephanie@tnimmigrant.org
NASHVILLE - Today, Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery joined 9 attorneys general and a governor in sending a letter to the Trump administration with an ultimatum: end the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program or they'll sue. The letter comes just weeks after the program's five year anniversary. Slatery and the other signatories give the president until September 5th, 2017 to formally rescind the program or they'll challenge DACA in court.
Since the program's inception five years ago, the lives of more than 8000 young immigrants in Tennessee have been transformed. Thousands more will be eligible to apply in the future if the program remains intact. With DACA, youth are protected from deportation and are authorized to work in the U.S. The DACA program has been incredibly successful, creating opportunities for immigrant youth to more fully participate in and contribute to their communities. Terminating DACA would have detrimental effects on immigrant families, our communities, and our economy. Without DACA, 8000+ Tennesseans would lose their ability to work, and businesses across the state would have to hire and train new employees to fill positions left vacant by DACA recipients. According to the CATO institute, the economic and fiscal impact of repealing DACA would result in a 60 billion loss in federal revenue plus $280 billion reduction in economic growth over the next 10 years.
DACA, applicants must meet all of the following to qualify: under 16 when they arrived in the U.S; lived in the U.S. continuously for at least five years; graduated from high school, received a GED or currently be enrolled in an education program; arrived before June 15, 2007 and was 31 years old or younger in 2012; demonstrate a clean criminal record; submit a lengthy application, undergo biometric screening, pay a fee of $465; and renew every two years.
Attorney General Slatery was one of 26 attorneys general who sued the Obama administration to block the 2014 program for parents of U.S. citizens and green card holders (DAPA) and the expansion of the 2012 DACA program. The 2014 programs, which would have benefited an estimated 38,000 people in Tennessee, were enjoined by a federal judge as the lawsuit stalled in court. On June 15th, President Trump formally rescinded the 2014 memo which created the programs. According to the letter sent today, if the Trump administration doesn't rescind the 2012 DACA program by the deadline, they will expand the existing lawsuit to challenge DACA.
The following is a quote from Cesar Bautista, TIRRC Youth Organizer:
"It is shameful that Attorney General (AG) Slatery would join forces with other extremist AGs to launch an attack on DACA recipients like me. But we won't give up. For years, we've built a powerful coalition of educators, employers, friends, and family. We will organize across the state to defend the program. Tennessee is our home, and we will not let our own Attorney General help deport us. We are here to stay."
The following is a quote from Jazmin Ramirez, Vice President, TIRRC Board of Directors:
"I can't understand why Attorney General Slatery is trying to put young Tennesseans like me into the deportation pipeline. We fought too hard for the DACA program, and it's been too successful - we won't let extremists like AG Slatery take it away. We will defend DACA and protect youth from deportations - but we won't stop there. We will fight for our families, too. This is our home. We are part of Tennessee, and we won't give up."
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Slatery Fiscal General, lanza un ataque cruel contra más de 8,000 mil jóvenes
Miembros de TIRRC, lucharan para proteger el programa DACA, 10 de los Fiscales Generales amenazaron el programa
NASHVILLE - 29 de julio, el Fiscal General de Tennessee, Herbert Slatery, se unió a otro 9 Fiscales Generales y junto con el gobernador, enviaron una carta a la administración Trump con un ultimátum: que finalice el programa Acción Diferida para los Niños que llegaron en el 2012 (DACA, por sus siglas en inglés) o ellos lo demandarán. La carta llega solo semanas después del quinto aniversario del programa. Slatery y los otros signatarios le dan al Presidente hasta el 5 de septiembre de 2017 para que rescinda formalmente el programa DACA o desafiarán el programa ante la corte.
Desde hace cinco años en que inicio el programa, las vidas de más de 8,000 ocho mil jóvenes inmigrantes en Tennessee han sido transformadas. Miles más serán elegibles para aplicar en el futuro si el programa permanece intacto. Con el programa DACA, los jóvenes están protegidos contra la deportación y tienen permiso para trabajar en los Estados Unidos. El programa DACA ha sido increíblemente exitoso, creando oportunidades para los jóvenes inmigrantes, quienes contribuyen y participan más en sus comunidades.
Slatery, la Fiscal General, fue una de los 26 Fiscales Generales que demandaron a la administración de Obama para detener el programa 2014 para padres de ciudadanos estadounidenses y titulares de tarjetas verdes (DAPA) que es una extensión del programa DACA 2012. El programa 2014, y que podría haber beneficiado a unas 38,000 treinta y ocho mil personas en Tennessee; ambos programas fueron juntados por un juez federal, paralizándose el proceso de la demanda ante la corte. El 15 de junio, el Presidente Trump rescindió formalmente el memorando de 2014 que creó los programas. De acuerdo con la carta enviada hoy, si la administración Trump no rescinde el programa DACA 2012 antes de la fecha límite, ampliarán la demanda que existe para retar al programa DACA.
Lo que sigue es una cita de Cesar Bautista, encargado del área de los jóvenes de la Coalición por los Derechos de los Inmigrantes y Refugiados de Tennessee por sus siglas TIRRC:
"Es vergonzoso que Slatery, la Fiscal General (AG), se uniera a otros Fiscales Generales extremistas para lanzar un ataque contra los beneficiarios del programa DACA como lo soy yo, pero no nos rendiremos. Durante años, hemos construido una poderosa coalición de educadores, empresarios, amigos y familia. Nos organizaremos a través de todo el estado para defender el programa. Tennessee es nuestro hogar, y no vamos a dejar que nuestro propio Fiscal General ayude a deportarnos. Nosotros estamos aquí para quedarnos.”
La siguiente es una cita de Jazmin Ramirez, Vicepresidenta de la Junta Directiva de TIRRC:
"No puedo entender por qué el Fiscal General Slatery, está tratando de poner a los jóvenes teneseanos como yo en la oleada de deportación. Hemos luchado demasiado duro por el programa DACA y ha sido demasiado exitoso, no permitiremos que extremistas como Slatery, la Fiscal General, no lo arrebate. Defenderemos el programa DACA y protegeremos a los jóvenes de las deportaciones, pero no nos detendremos ahí, pelearemos por nuestras familias también. Esta es nuestra casa. Somos parte de Tennessee y no nos rendiremos."
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TIRRC is a statewide, immigrant and refugee-led collaboration whose mission is to empower immigrants and refugees throughout Tennessee to develop a unified voice, defend their rights, and create an atmosphere in which they are recognized as positive contributors to the state. Since its founding in 2001, TIRRC has worked to develop immigrant leadership, build the capacity of its immigrant-led member organizations, help immigrant community members understand and engage in the civic process, and educate the public about policies that would better promote integration of new immigrants and facilitate their full participation in US society. In just a few years TIRRC has grown from a grassroots network of community leaders into one of the most diverse and effective coalitions of its kind, a model for emerging immigrant rights organizations in the Southeast and throughout the United States.