Anniversary of President Obama’s Executive Action on Immigration

(SACRAMENTO) – Today marks the first anniversary of President’s Obama announcement of the expansion of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA).  These programs were scheduled to place a hold on the deportation of approximately five million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. While today should have marked a first year of celebration, instead it marks a year of inaction and delayed promise. Assemblymember Luis Alejo (D-Salinas), Chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus, issued the following statement regarding the first anniversary of the expansion of President Obama’s executive action on immigration:

“A year ago today, President Obama acted to protect immigrant families from deportation due to the inaction of Congress to fix our broken immigration system. This was a moral and legal action by President Obama that is currently being litigated and delayed in the federal court system. The President’s action would have directly assisted an estimated 1.5 million residents of California.

This delay is preventing our state from reaping the economic benefits of these programs, which the President’s Council of Economic Advisors has estimated to be $27.5 billion to California’s economy over the next decade and, according to the University of Southern California, a full implementation of these programs would result in a collective wage increase of more than $5.5 billion.

I’m optimistic that the Supreme Court of the United States will vindicate the actions of the President and millions of families will finally be able to be out of the shadows.” 

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Contact: Michelle Reyes / Michelle.Reyes@asm.ca.gov / (916) 319-2030