Georgia Groups Condemn Trump Decision To End DACA

ATLANTA, GA -- Several Georgia organizations and public figures reacted swiftly Tuesday to condemn the Trump Administration's decision to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA). Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced earlier in the day that DACA was being "rescinded." He added that the Department of Homeland Security would implement a "wind down" of the program over the next six months.

President Trump had indicated days ago that the government would have an impending announcement about the controversial program, which was put into effect by President Obama. (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)

"Make no mistake, we are going to put the interest of American citizens first! The forgotten men and women will no longer be forgotten," the president tweeted early Tuesday.

Over the past five years, DACA provided federal benefits to about 800,000 illegal immigrants currently between the ages of 15 and 36, the federal government said, with most of the people in their 20s.

As a gesture toward making the process less disruptive, the administration vowed that it would continue to renew permits over the next six months. The time period provides a slight window for Congress to mobilize on behalf of those whose status may expire over that time period, upending their lives in many respects.

Watch: The Trump Administration Just Announced The End Of DACA

In a statement, Trump blamed Obama for DACA but said his administration would handle its dismantling with "heart and compassion."

"As I've said before, we will resolve the DACA issue with heart and compassion -- but through the lawful Democratic process -- while at the same time ensuring that any immigration reform we adopt provides enduring benefits for the American citizens we were elected to serve," Trump said. "We must also have heart and compassion for unemployed, struggling and forgotten Americans."

U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson of Georgia's 4th District, which encompasses much of DeKalb, said that Trump's actions send a troubling message to many Americans.

“By rescinding DACA, President Trump is sending a clear and unambiguous message to his Steve Bannon-alt right supporters that they have a friend in the White House," he said. "This rescission is consistent with President Trump’s despicable pardoning of convicted civil rights violator Sheriff Joe Arpaio, which came on the heels of the President’s reference to Nazi, Klan and alt-right sympathizers in Charlottesville as “good people.”

Atlanta Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory said that the families who have done all they could to be in compliance with U.S. immigration policy will suffer because of the administration's latest move.

"It is profoundly regrettable that the Administration has decided to prolong an uncertain future for nearly one million young people who have come to the United States of America as children from many different nations," Gregory said in a statement. "I recognize that DACA is not and was never intended to be a permanent solution to help these young people. Yet, until Congress enacts just and compassionate immigration reform, however long that may take, these young people should not be subject to deportation and their families should not be torn apart."

Democratic Party of Georgia Latino Caucus Chair Antonio Molina blasted the administration, saying that the state would be hit in the pocketbook by the tune of nearly $1 million. “Donald Trump’s decision to rescind DACA is a cruel and calculated political move that punishes 800,000 immigrants looking to build a better life and contribute to our economy," Molina said. "Georgia ranks in the top ten states hit the hardest by Trump’s shortsighted move. With 23,405 DACA recipients, Georgia stands to lose $994,182,808 in state GDP annually."

U.S. Rep Barry Loudermilk praised the Trump Administration decision, saying that a convoluted immigration policy had undermined the nation's peace and security.

“Tweaks by Congress, and executive orders by various administrations, have created an immigration policy that favors illegal immigration and punishes those who want to legally come here to work, " Loudermilk, a Republican, said in a statement. "President Barack Obama's executive order was outside the constitutional authority of the executive branch, and I agree with President Trump's decision to reverse the order and call on Congress to fundamentally reform our immigration policy."

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Andrea Young, the executive director of the ACLU of Georgia, said that ending DACA demonstrated the "cruelty" of the president. “President Trump has broken a promise to these young people and to our country. This reprehensible betrayal demonstrates once again that Trump’s cruelty is matched only by his blatant disregard for the rule of law," Young said.

She added: “We are sickened by this heartless attack on young people whose hard work and generosity have benefited our communities in so many ways, but we are not giving up. Now it’s up to Congress to do the right thing and pass bipartisan legislation – supported by majorities on both sides of the aisle – that will protect Dreamers from being targeted by Trump’s draconian immigration policies."

The Council on American-Islamic Relations National Executive Director Nihad Awad said DACA's demise would hearten the anti-immigrant extemists around the nation.

"By terminating DACA, even with a six-month delay or 'wind down,' President Trump is pandering to the demands of anti-immigrant extremists and harming our nation by targeting some of the most dynamic and success-oriented members of society," Awad said. "In practical terms, the 'delay' in implementing the termination is meaningless for the vast majority of Dreamers and will inevitably result in chaos in their lives."

Image via Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press