Read the PDF of our statement here.
NAACP Legal Defense Fund Statement on the Trump Administration Ending DACA
Today, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the Trump administration is ending Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), an Obama-era immigration policy that protected innocent youth from deportation. Sherrilyn Ifill, President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), issued the following statement:
“This is a disastrous and cruel decision that will devastate the lives of hundreds of thousands of children and their families. There is no financial, national security or sound public policy consideration driving this decision. Instead, ending DACA is yet another example of this Administration’s willingness to fan the flames of xenophobia and hostility towards racial minorities and immigrants. Eliminating the program will be a devastating blow to almost a million young people who enrich this nation daily, and who were brought to this country as minors. For most, this is the only home they know. They deserve an opportunity to pursue what all Americans want: a chance to build a productive and meaningful life and a future for themselves. We stand with our partners in the civil rights community leading the fight to protect those who have put their faith in the ideals of this nation, and we call on Congress to do the same. We’re long past the time for statements. Congress must get off the sidelines and start actually combatting the pernicious policies of this Administration that are targeted at racial minorities and immigrants.”
Press:
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Founded in 1940, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the nation’s first civil and human rights law organization and has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund or LDF.
