New York, NY — Immigration advocates and allies gathered at Battery Park on October 26, 2019, with the Statue of Liberty as their background, to launch an 18-day march to Washington, D.C. as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, and allies begun a 230 miles walk to continue building national support and awareness. The walk is scheduled to arrive the day the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments on Trump’s unlawful termination of the DACA policy.
At the kick-off rally and march launch, immigrant youth shared that over the past seven years, they have been able to work, attend school, and remain with their families. If DACA ends, it can have devastating effects on hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients, their families, communities and the economy.
The #HomeIsHere March for DACA and TPS—led by CASA, CHIRLA, FIRM, Make the Road New York, NAKASEC, the New York Immigration Coalition, and the Home Is Here Campaign—will make stops throughout Philadelphia, Baltimore and ending at U.S. Supreme Court on November 12th. On that day, hundreds more will gather outside as oral arguments are heard inside, determining the fate of more than 700,000 undocumented youth.
The young undocumented leaders are also marching to defend TPS. Court proceedings for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program have already commenced and a decision from the appellate courts is projected to come out this month, impacting 300,000 TPS recipients. Including the over 700,000 undocumented immigrants at stake of losing DACA, these court cases will determine the futures of one million undocumented immigrants.
A decision from the Supreme Court on DACA is expected between January and June 2020.
“The history of our nation is inextricably tied to our immigrant communities, and so too must be our future,” said Attorney General Letitia James. “DACA and TPS have provided countless individuals with hope and opportunity, while shielding them from the threat of sudden deportation. These programs are vital to our communities and I will fight tirelessly to protect them and all those who call this country home.”
© Erik McGregor – erikrivas@hotmail.com – 917-225-8963