The US government said it has not yet the decided the fate of an existing program that protects young immigrants from deportation. The trump administration has earlier said the program will remain.
During his campaign, Trump denounced the program by describing it as an illegal amnesty and vowed to withdraw it as soon has he assumes office. The President has been tough on illegal immigrants, but seems to be calming his nerves due to pressure from a prominent business mogul who sees immigrants as the backbone of the nation’s economy.
Trump's position on immigrants
Since assuming office, President Trump has expressed dismay for the beneficiaries of the program, describing them as day dreamers, who could not remember living anywhere else except the United States. A termination of the program could lead to the deportation of more than 787,000 people who voluntarily registered themselves with the government in exchange for protection.
The Associated Press reported that the Department of Homeland Security said on Thursday that the program would remain unhindered.
The announcement was made when similar Obama administration’s program, Deferred Action for Parents of American was cancelled by the Trump administration. The DAPA would have guaranteed protection for immigrant parents of US citizens if the court hadn’t blocked its implementation.
DAPA hanging in the balance
On Friday, Homeland Security Department Secretary John Kerry said the DAPA program for parents of immigrant had “languished in limbo” many years ago. He added that the policy that has a direct effect on children would remain unhindered.
After the news that the DACA program would remain in force broke out, reactions started pouring in from both sides of the immigration debate.
However, on Friday afternoon, the Trump administration said a final decision on the sustenance of the program has not yet been reached.
Homeland Security’s assistant secretary for public affairs, Jonathan Hoffman, the Future of the DACA program continues to hang in the balance since it is still under review by the administration.
Though Congress has the power to decide the fate of these immigrants, President said the issue would be handled with utmost caution, compassion and with heart, Hoffman added.
The DACA program stipulates measures that would protect young immigrants while Congress considers wider immigration legislation that will be ringing about the desired changes to the DACA legislation.
DACA does not provide a legal immigration path to citizenship or any status that leads to permanent protection; it does offer immigrants with valid work permit for a period of two years.
