Congress should respond to overwhelming consensus across the political spectrum in support for Dreamers
The fierce blowback to President Trump’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program reflects how this issue has moved beyond a niche policy debate to become a full-fledged cultural and political moment. Everyone from leading corporate CEOs toKim Kardashian are weighing in to support Dreamers.
The national consensus is clear: Americans oppose yesterday’s DACA decision and strongly support a permanent legislative solution. Such a position is neither controversial nor particularly partisan, with overwhelming majority support among even Republicans for legal status for Dreamers. Of course, a dysfunctional Congress must respond to this societal consensus and move past the broad rhetorical support for Dreamers to get something done.
Below, we highlight how the American people and the nation’s leading editorial boards, are making clear that they stand with Dreamers:
Across America, Dreamers and their allies organize and tell their powerful stories
With courage and resolve, Dreamers and their allies organized across America yesterday, in cities big and small, to express outrage over the decision to end DACA and to call for Congress to join the vast majority of the country in supporting a legislative solution. See here for a recap of events across America.
The nation’s leading editorial boards savage President Trump’s decision to end DACA
New York Times editorial, “Donald Trump’s Cowardice on ‘Dreamers’”: “President Trump didn’t even have the guts to do the job himself. Instead, he hid in the shadows and sent his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, to do the dirty work of telling the country that the administration would no longer shield from deportation 800,000 young undocumented immigrants brought to this country as children … In short, DACA is morally right, legally sound and fiscally smart policy.”
Washington Post editorial, “Trump’s Heartless Decision”: “Mr. Trump’s order is an assault on economic logic. By subverting the employment and educational prospects of so many promising young people, Mr. Trump has sapped their earnings and purchasing power, withdrawn their college prospects and imperiled their jobs. That’s why more than 300 top executives of some of the largest U.S. corporations asked him not to rescind DACA. Now, unless Congress acts, the United States will suffer along with the dreamers.”
Wall Street Journal editorial, “The Dreamer Debacle”:“The obvious bipartisan solution would trade authorizing DACA in return for additional border enforcement. But Republicans should also be prepared to send Mr. Trump a clean authorization to make good on the government’s moral obligation to these young people.”
USA Today editorial, “Trump’s DACA Reversal Won’t Only Hurt Dreamers”: “For the dreamers, Tuesday’sdecision is a cruel move that casts their lives into uncertainty. For Trump and the Republicans, it’s a self-inflicted wedge wound.”
Los Angeles Times editorial, “Ending DACA Was an Act of Pure Cruelty By Trump”: “There are many aspects of the immigration system and immigration enforcement that need vigorous debate, but it’s beyond the pale that the government thinks it’s wise policy to not offer relief to people who were raised here and educated here but don’t have legal status…Several versions of the DREAM Act have been introduced by both Democrats and Republicans. In fact, polls show that even a majority of Republican voters believe the so-called Dreamers deserve help and protection, and many Republican members of Congress agree. So here’s an idea: How about members of Congress set aside their tribal differences and actually do something that the American people say they want?”
New poll: 76% of Americans, including 69% of Republicans, back legal status for Dreamers
New polling released yesterday from Morning Consult and Politico finds that the overwhelming majority of Americans support Dreamers. More than three quarters support the idea of allowing Dreamers to become citizens or to remain as permanent residents. A strong majority of Republicans and Trump voters agree. The poll was conducted from August 31st through September 3rd and the sample was comprised of 1,993 registered voters.
The question asked, “As you may know, Dreamers are young people who were brought to the United States illegally when they were children, often with their parents. Which of the following do you think is the best way to handle Dreamers?”
The responses:
- 76% of Americans support citizenship (58%) or permanent status (18%) for Dreamers, while only 15% back deportation.
- 84% of Democrats back either citizenship (71%) or permanent status (13%), vs. 8% who favor deportation.
- 74% of Independents back either citizenship (56%) or permanent status (18%), vs. 12% who favor deportation.
- 69% of Republicans back either citizenship (46%) or permanent status (23%), vs. 24% who favor deportation.
- The poll crosstabs reveal that a combined 67% of Trump voters back either citizenship (44%) or permanent status (23%), vs. 26% in favor of deportation.
