PRESS RELEASE

AAPCHO Denounces President’s Decision to End DACA

September 5, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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Beverly Quintana
Director of Development and Public Affairs
(510) 272-9536
bquintana[at]aapcho[dot]org

Urges Congress to Pass Comprehensive Immigration Reform

WASHINGTON – The Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO) today released the following statement in response to President Trump’s announcement to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program condemning the decision:

“Ending protections that allow young aspiring Americans to continue to contribute to our country and live without the fear of deportation is a step back from progress,” said Jeffrey Caballero, executive director of AAPCHO. “DACA recipients are our neighbors and family members who deserve respect and justice. This program has provided immigrant youth and young adults with the opportunity to serve as leaders in their communities and contribute to our society a whole. As an organization representing health centers that serve all who walk through their doors, we stand committed to the needs of all members of our communities and will continue to push for comprehensive immigration reform.”

The DACA program provides temporary protection from deportation and the ability to obtain a work permit for over 800,000 children and young adults, including more than 16,000 Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. As part of today’s announcement, Attorney General Jeff Sessions asserted that the Trump administration will end the DACA program in six months and new DACA applications will no longer be accepted. The announcement shifts the pressure of determining the future of the hundreds of thousands of immigrants known as “dreamers” to Congress.

Safety and security are essential to the well-being of communities served by AAPCHO members and all health centers. The decision to end DACA hurts all Americans by cutting a program designed to grow the economy, create jobs and most importantly—keep families together.

AAPCHO calls on Congress to build a path to citizenship by immediately passing the bipartisan DREAM Act of 2017 and other legislative solutions that support the humanity and dignity of immigrant and all communities. We will continue to push for comprehensive immigration reform and meaningful policy change to fix the broken U.S. immigration system, and gives all individuals and families the opportunity to participate and contribute more fully in their communities.

About AAPCHO
AAPCHO is a national association of community health organizations dedicated to promoting advocacy, collaboration and leadership that improves the health status and access of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. For more information on AAPCHO, please visit www.aapcho.org.

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