Ahead of April 18th oral arguments, advocates, business leaders, elected officials and eligible DACA+/DAPA recipients demonstrate strong support for President Obama’s Executive Actions
Today, local advocates, local and county elected officials and community leaders signed on to amicus briefs filed in U.S. v. Texas, the Supreme Court case that will determine the fate of President Obama’s executive actions on immigration – and will affect the lives of millions of undocumented immigrants and American families. In a show of solidarity, brief signatories and supporters of the DACA+/DAPA programs noted the positive impact that they will have for our country, and the ways in which the implementation of the programs will improve the lives of millions of immigrants who are already living in the U.S. and contributing to our economy and to our communities. Cities signing on to the brief include Haledon, Jersey City, Newark, Paterson, Plainfield, Princeton, Roselle, Union City and Trenton. Union County, NJ also joined the amicus brief in support of the President’s Executive Action. Nearly 200,000 immigrants in New Jersey will be eligible for the President’s programs should the Supreme Court uphold the executive action.
“Today I feel hopeful that DAPA will forward. As the father of two American children, I worry every day about being separated from my family because of our broken immigration system, even more so with the recent raids. If DAPA is upheld, I will be able to provide for my children, get a better job and keep my family safe.” Edison Hernandez, a member of the Elizabeth based immigrant rights organization Make the Road New Jersey and longtime resident of Elizabeth, NJ.
“DAPA will help us come out of the shadows and gain respect and dignity for our families,” said Maria Pereira of Hillside, NJ and member of Make the Road New Jersey. “DAPA means no more separation of families. It will end the nightmare of deportation for so many of our families, giving us the chance to live in peace. Today we say yes to DAPA, yes to our families.”
“It is well past time to fix our immigration system, and as the grandson of immigrants from Eastern Europe, I am proud to support President Obama’s Executive Action on Immigration,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce Bergen. “What better way to celebrate our American success story, then by paving the way for others to renew our country and live out their American dreams? We are a nation of immigrants, and this is what has made our country great. We must continue to honor this legacy.”
“As the youngest Democratic Freeholder in the State of New Jersey, as an elected official representing a county that I consider to be a “melting pot” of different ethnicities and as a son of two hard working immigrants who came to this country for a brighter future as so many other immigrants also do, President Obama’s Executive Action on Immigration is a personal issue for me that I very strongly support,” said Union County Freeholder Vice Chairman Sergio Granados. “Today’s immigrants are tomorrow’s entrepreneurs, scientists and professionals, and are major contributors to our economy and society. It’s well past time to fix the system, and it is a simple matter of humanity.”
The President’s executive actions are fully supported by law. The DAPA and expanded DACA programs will allow millions to come out of the shadows and provide work authorization to approximately 5 million undocumented immigrants. We urge the court to recognize the contributions of these individuals and the overwhelmingly positive impact that the expanded DACA and DAPA programs will have for our economy and for communities across the country.
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