The lives of 8,00,000 young immigrants who entered the United States as minors — including an estimated 20,000 Indians are now facing the threat of deportation after the Trump administration rescinded DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that allowed them a renewable two-year permit to study and work in America.
REUTERS"Over 27,000 Asian Americans, including 5,500 Indians and Pakistanis, have already received DACA. An additional estimated 17,000 individuals from India and 6,000 Pakistan respectively are eligible for DACA, placing India in the top ten countries for DACA eligibility," South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) said.Killing DACA, a program birthed by President Obama, was a Trump campaign pledge. But under pressure from US corporations,
Trump made a minor concession in lobbing the ball to Congress, asking it to legislate the matter while deferring action for six months.Having sometimes expressed sympathy for the so-called "Dreamers," the young immigrants who have no criminal record other than coming in or being brought to the US illegally, Trump also bailed out of making the announcement himself, leaving the task to his Attorney General Jeff Sessions, part of the right wing group that has called for hardline measures against immigration.
As per the latest notification, the Department of Homeland Security with immediate effect will no longer accept new DACA applications, which means if an individual minor is in the US illegally or has been brought in illegally, there is no protection against deportation - a principal guarantee that President Obama's executive order gave.
APThe agency also said those currently enrolled in DACA will be able to continue working until their permits expire; those whose permits expire by March 5, 2018, will be permitted to apply for two-year renewal as long as they do so by October 5.
Trump administration officials said the gradual draw-down of the program was a humane way of addressing the issue - one that is very close to the heart of the nativist core constituency that voted for Trump, and which believe illegal immigrants are stealing American jobs.
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REUTERS"Over 27,000 Asian Americans, including 5,500 Indians and Pakistanis, have already received DACA. An additional estimated 17,000 individuals from India and 6,000 Pakistan respectively are eligible for DACA, placing India in the top ten countries for DACA eligibility," South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) said.Killing DACA, a program birthed by President Obama, was a Trump campaign pledge. But under pressure from US corporations,
Trump made a minor concession in lobbing the ball to Congress, asking it to legislate the matter while deferring action for six months.Having sometimes expressed sympathy for the so-called "Dreamers," the young immigrants who have no criminal record other than coming in or being brought to the US illegally, Trump also bailed out of making the announcement himself, leaving the task to his Attorney General Jeff Sessions, part of the right wing group that has called for hardline measures against immigration.
As per the latest notification, the Department of Homeland Security with immediate effect will no longer accept new DACA applications, which means if an individual minor is in the US illegally or has been brought in illegally, there is no protection against deportation - a principal guarantee that President Obama's executive order gave.
APThe agency also said those currently enrolled in DACA will be able to continue working until their permits expire; those whose permits expire by March 5, 2018, will be permitted to apply for two-year renewal as long as they do so by October 5.
Trump administration officials said the gradual draw-down of the program was a humane way of addressing the issue - one that is very close to the heart of the nativist core constituency that voted for Trump, and which believe illegal immigrants are stealing American jobs.
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