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America’s Voice Education Fund Responds to Detention of DACA-recipient Daniel Ramirez Medina

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Donald Trump as quoted in TIME

“They got brought here at a very young age, they’ve worked here, they’ve gone to school here. Some were good students. Some have wonderful jobs. And they’re in never-never land because they don’t know what’s going to happen….We’re going to work something out that’s going to make people happy and proud.”

Speaker Paul Ryan in response to question from an undocumented woman who came to the U.S at the age of 11 at a CNN town hall:

“What we have to do is find a way to make sure that you can get right with the law. And we’ve got to do this so that the rug doesn’t get pulled out from under you and your family gets separated. That’s the way we feel. And that is exactly what our new, incoming president has stated he wants to do….I’m sure you’re a great contributor to [your] community.” Regarding the possibility of a “deportation force”, Ryan said, “ I’m here to tell you….it’s not happening.”

The following is a statement from Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice, in response to news reports that in Seattle, Washington, ICE has arrested and detained Daniel Ramirez Medina, a 23 year old with no criminal record, who has been vetted by DHS and granted DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. DACA confers protection from arrest, detention and deportation as well as work permission, and some 750,000 young people have benefited from it since it was announced in June of 2012.

 “This is outrageous. A young man is detained by ICE for what, being in the wrong place at the wrong time? The fact that he has been granted status under DACA is ignored? And to add insult to injury, ICE releases a statement saying he’s a threat to public safety? Congress must demand answers and DHS, under General Kelly, must provide them. In the meantime, ICE should release Daniel from detention immediately. Despite all the talk of bad hombres, ICE has arrested and detained a young immigrant who has come forward, been screened and been approved by DHS, and was at home asleep when agents came knocking.

“As the quotes above indicate, President Trump and Speaker Ryan have sought to reassure young people with DACA that they won’t be priorities for immigration enforcement, and that they don’t have to worry. Either they were lying or ICE agents in Seattle went rogue. With Trump issuing an interior enforcement executive order that eviscerates any sense of prioritization, perhaps they were lying, and their goal was to scare millions of hardworking immigrants. If not, then ICE has to explain why they arrested and detained a 23 year old who has been screened and cleared twice by their own agency.”