AFT Calls for Passage of Dream Act

WASHINGTON— American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten released the following statement today, two months since President Trump ended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program:

“Two months after President Trump ripped the rug out from under hundreds of thousands of young people who have done everything we asked of them under DACA, the clock is ticking for Congress to enact legislation that allows these aspiring Americans to stay in the only country they know.

“Trump has exploited and stoked anti-immigrant fervor, painting immigrants as dangerous criminals to justify his racist mass-deportation plan. But DACA recipients are not criminals; they are students, teachers, nurses and lawyers who contribute to our economy and enrich the fabric of our communities.

“On this national day of mobilization, we join Americans everywhere who are raising their voices in support of these young people. We call for the passage of the Dream Act of 2017, which would provide a pathway to citizenship for immigrant youth—including 20,000 DACAmented bilingual educators filling critical teacher shortages—and keep these aspiring Americans from disappearing back into the shadows.”