We Stand with Dreamers and Will Fight for You

Statement from Esta Soler, President and Founder, Futures Without Violence

More children living with insecurity, trauma, and fear. More families in jeopardy of being torn apart. More young people, survivors, and communities at risk.

Those will be among the consequences of the Administration’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Ending DACA will cause real and immediate harm to nearly 800,000 young people who came to this country as children and want nothing more than to contribute to their communities and the nation.

We only need to look to the city of Houston to see their valuable contributions. Many DACA recipients stepped up and volunteered to help their fellow Houstonians during Hurricane Harvey, risked their lives as first responders, or lost their lives as volunteer rescuers. They are architects and engineers ready and willing to rebuild the city they call home, and social service providers who will work tirelessly to ensure that their fellow Houstonians have what they need to recover. They are our classmates, doctors, business owners, and members of our armed forces who put their lives on the line every day to protect and defend the United States of America.

DACA recipients have lived for a majority of their lives in the United States – this is their country, their home. They have stepped up, and now it’s time for us to stand up for them.

We look to Congress to pass the DREAM Act of 2017 which will provide a path to citizenship for these residents who have made real, significant contributions to our communities.

Let’s raise our voices and stand with Dreamers.