WASHINGTON, DC — FWD.us today released a new report, “Dismantling DACA & Terminating TPS: A Moral and Economic Disaster That Hurts All Americans,” highlighting the devastating human, economic, and political consequences of President Trump’s continued attempts to terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Ending these two programs would not only directly harm more than one million people, but would devastate families, communities and economies across the country.
The new report is the first in a four-part series, which will also detail voters’ overwhelming rejection of these policies. Broad public support for DACA recipients and TPS holders has been galvanized by the courageous advocacy of the people most severely impacted by these policies.
“The Trump Administration’s devastating anti-immigrant policies have left nearly 700,000 DACA recipients like me and more than 300,000 immigrants with TPS living in fear and uncertainty,” said FWD.us Colorado State Immigration Director Marissa Molina, a former educator who has lived nearly her entire life in the United States. “In the midst of the chaos and pain caused by our badly broken immigration system, DACA and TPS have provided a lifeline. We will continue to fight for dignity and respect despite Trump’s continued efforts to target families, children, and community members through his inhumane immigration policies.”
Numerous national polls, including those by Pew Research Center, Gallup, and The Immigration Hub, have made clear that Americans of all backgrounds – including President Trump’s own supporters – are strongly supportive of immigrants and immigration, and even more so now than when he took office. Critically, American voters are also more strongly supportive of immigrants and immigration now than when the President’s party lost control of the House of Representatives in the 2018 midterm elections. Voters continue to reject the President’s anti-immigrant agenda, because they have seen firsthand the incredible human and economic damage his policies have wrought over the last four years. The report comes on the heels of the highly-anticipated first presidential debate, scheduled for 9:00 PM Eastern Time tonight in Cleveland.
“As millions of people across the country watch the presidential debate tonight, it is vital that we reflect on the cruel and chaotic impact of the policies that have been enacted over the last four years,” said FWD.us President Todd Schulte. “The threat facing Dreamers and TPS holders has been an entirely avoidable crisis that has impacted millions of Americans and will have incalculable costs for our country.”
Deporting Dreamers and TPS holders stands to hurt our nation’s health and economic recovery, particularly at a time when the unprecedented COVID-19 global health crisis has taken the lives of more than 200,000 Americans. Roughly 200,000 DACA recipients — more than one-third of the entire DACA population — as well as an estimated 131,000 TPS holders – are fighting on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic in essential roles, from healthcare to agriculture, and transportation to education.