When I asked President Obama to create this program by Executive
order, he waited and worked for a year before he came up with it, and I
thought it was a good program. It was controversial, but at least for
these young people, it gave them a temporary renewable status, and that
made all the difference in the world. When Attorney General Sessions announced the end of DACA on September
5, the President challenged us. He challenged the Senate and the House
of Representatives. He said: Do something about this. Pass a law. Take
care of this problem. I think DACA was legal, but I am not going to argue that point
anymore. The new President does not, but I accept his challenge, and I
think we all should. What can we do that is fair to these young people and gives them the
chance they are asking for that is consistent with a good immigration
policy for America? That is why, years ago, I introduced the DREAM Act
and why I still believe it is the right approach. The notion behind it,
of course, is if you were brought here as a child, you have no criminal
record of any serious nature, you have completed your education, you
have a chance to earn your way into legal status and then ultimately
into citizenship, and that is what we are working on now.
Keywords matched
immigration DACA