Tomorrow or next Monday, the Supreme Court will finally issue a decision in the United States v Texas immigration case that has put thousands of Ohioans’ lives on hold.
Approximately 35,000 Ohio immigrants, many of whom are parents of U.S. citizens, could benefit from the immigration policies announced by the Department of Homeland Security in 2014. According to a new report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, undocumented immigrants in Ohio are already paying millions of dollars in state and local taxes every year, and their contributions would grow by nearly $10 million if the policies – known as DAPA and DACA expansion – are implemented. Unfortunately, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Governor John Kasich joined other Republican-led states to sue the Federal government and block these policies from going forward.
With a Supreme Court decision now imminent, civic organizations in Ohio and across the nation are getting ready to implement these policies that will transform so many lives. America’s Voice Education Fund and the Center for Community Change/FIRM have collected some of these efforts, including the work of Lorain Ohio Immigrant Rights Association (LOIRA), which you can read about here.
The delay in these policies has caused pain and heartache for many hard-working, immigrant-led families in Ohio. Today, Marcos Piñon Hernandez of Madison faces imminent deportation, despite the fact that he is the loving father of U.S. citizens and his local community has rallied around him. Yesterday, Fusion published a story highlighting the strong support Piñon and his family have received locally, even in a town known for being conservative. The story includes video of youth football coach Walter Alley, who is leading the charge to stop Piñon’s deportation, saying: “[Marcos is] an amazing father, a hard-working man, and I think his deportation is completely unjust.”
“When Attorney General Mike DeWine and Governor John Kasich joined this anti-immigrant lawsuit, they ignored the impact their actions would have on ordinary Ohioans,” said Lynn Tramonte, Director of Ohio’s Voice. “Tomorrow or next Monday, the Supreme Court will determine the fate of this case. Hopefully, they will follow the law and allow DAPA and DACA expansion to continue. But what about the people who have been deported in the meantime? Our leaders need to realize there are human costs to their actions. We expect them to put people ahead of politics.”