Washington, DC — Last Thursday, a group of Democratic AGs pushed back against the ongoing efforts by Republican AGs to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. In the amicus brief, led by New York AG Letitia James and California AG Rob Bonta, the coalition emphasizes the critical importance of DACA for states across the country and the hundreds of thousands of Dreamers and their families who depend on the program.

Arizona Mirror highlighted the Democratic AG’s action in defending the program, writing, “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, commonly referred to as DACA, is a federal policy that shields eligible recipients from deportation and affords them a work permit. The policy has weathered numerous challenges since its inception in 2012, with the latest being a January request from nine Republican-led states urging a federal judge considering its legality to shut it down entirely. In response, 22 states headed by Democratic administrations filed an opposing brief on March 10 asking the judge to consider the damage doing so would mean.”

“‘They are valued members of the community and vital members of the workforce who contribute to the tax base,’ the Democratic attorneys general wrote.”

“The Democratic-led states called on Hanen to reject the request of their nine GOP counterparts. Alternatively, if he agrees to eliminate the program, they ask Hanen to pause the effects of his ruling while the appeals process continues, or remand the order back to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to give them time to figure out how to wind it down. The request from the GOP states advocates for just a two-year phase out.”

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