Joaquin Castro wants Congress to make DACA immigration program permanent

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The clock is ticking for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which is prone to being declared unlawful if Congress doesn’t cross laws to put it aside, mentioned U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, on Tuesday.

Castro gathered San Antonio enterprise leaders and others for a digital press convention to urge Congress to use the post-election interval to cross laws that gives permanent reduction to DACA recipients, also called Dreamers.

“Today, [Dreamers are] small-business owners, teachers, veterans and essential workers. They are small-business owners who kept our economy running during the pandemic, and they are doctors and nurses who saved American lives and continue to do so,” Castro mentioned.

He was joined by Richard Perez, president and CEO of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce; Dawn Larios, govt director of the Texas Restaurant Association West Region; Teresa Niño, vice chairman for college relations on the University of Texas at San Antonio; and Giovanni Castillo, a DACA recipient and San Antonio small-business proprietor who got here to the U.S. as a toddler 20 years in the past.

Castro referred to as on the state’s senators, John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, to “make good” on claims the 2 have made about supporting reduction for DACA recipients and mentioned he welcomed the participation of the senators, together with different Republicans within the House and Senate.

Castro mentioned one technique for saving DACA might embrace issuing visas to these within the program. Many Dreamers at the moment are dad and mom themselves, to greater than 250,000 U.S.-born youngsters, Castro mentioned. Texas has the second-highest variety of Dreamers of any state — more than 101,000 reside here.

Castro mentioned all choices ought to be on the desk to defend this susceptible inhabitants, together with searching for Republican help, which might be wanted to overcome a Senate filibuster.

“We’re going to look at whichever ways we can make it happen, whether it’s attaching it to a larger bill or whether it’s a standalone bill, but that’s still going to require some kind of negotiation and participation from Republicans in order to do that,” he mentioned.

In early October, a court docket case difficult the legality of the program was despatched again to a decrease court docket in Texas after a three-judge panel of the fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with the decrease court docket that the implementation of DACA in 2012 was illegal. But the court docket stored the program in place in the meanwhile, permitting recipients to renew their standing however stopping first-time candidates from making use of.

The case is anticipated to attain the U.S. Supreme Court, the place the conservative majority might rule that the program is unlawful.

Without motion from Congress, practically 600,000 DACA recipients could possibly be in danger for deportation, mentioned Perez, whereas an extra 400,000 DACA-eligible youth nationwide are at present prohibited from making use of to the program.

“Only Congress can fix this, and they must pass a permanent legislative solution to protect Dreamers before the end of 2022 and in this lame-duck session,” he mentioned. “Congress must act now to protect Dreamers and prevent families from being torn apart and kicked out of our workforce.”

Under the program, individuals who arrived within the U.S. unlawfully as youngsters earlier than 2007 are shielded from deportation. They don’t get authorized standing or a pathway to citizenship via DACA, however they will apply to acquire a driver’s license, Social Security quantity and work allow. Dreamers should submit an annual utility and pay about $500 plus authorized charges.

Castillo, the DACA recipient, mentioned he has anxious about deportation for years.

“I worry every day, not knowing what’s going to happen,” he mentioned. “My kids, one is 16, my daughter is 12, they know what’s going on. They know I could not be here next year or next month. It’s always been really hard on my kids, my family and I’m sure for many other DACA recipients.”

While the court docket case is pending, Castillo mentioned he’s considered what he would do if Congress doesn’t cross laws to grant permanent safety.

“Honestly it’s really hard … not knowing what’s going to happen to us,” he mentioned.

Disclosure: San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, Texas Restaurant Association and University of Texas at San Antonio have been monetary supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news group that’s funded partly by donations from members, foundations and company sponsors. Financial supporters play no function within the Tribune’s journalism. Find an entire list of them here.