BOSTON — The program that gave nearly 800,000 undocumented young people in the U.S. a path to citizenship must stay, says Sen. Edward Markey.
With President Donald Trump rescinding the Obama administration program known as DACA, Sen. Markey came out in support of the dreamers Tuesday.
Markey held a news conference Tuesday afternoon with members of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition and ‘Dreamers,’ to support the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
The program was established in 2012 by President Barack Obama and allows undocumented immigrants the ability to remain in the U.S. legally if they arrived a child. They must have lived in the United States for 10 years, have no criminal record and be able to pass a background check.
"We call on President Trump to do the right thing ... and support legislation ... to pass Dream act," said MIRA executive director Eva Millona.
Millona was joined at the news conference by Senator Ed Markey, Attorney General Maura Healy and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh.
“Dreamers attend America's schools, serve in the U.S. military, have started businesses, and contribute billions to the economy,” Markey said.
MORE: DACA 'is being rescinded,' AG Jeff Sessions says
For one young man from Peabody, who immigrated here from Brazil, the repeal of the Deferred Action for childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program could rip his family apart.
Doug Santos and his sister, Dalilla, are known as ‘Dreamers.’ They traveled without their parents in the back of vehicles with strangers and then walked over the U.S. border.
The DACA program has given Doug the ability to attend Assumption College on a football scholarship, but Dalila does not have a green card yet.
President Trump Tweeted that he would leave the decision to congress after widespread speculation last week that he was going to end the program himself. But at a press conference Tuesday morning, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the program would begin winding down.
MORE: Trump ending 'dreamer' program could tear apart Peabody family