On December 6th, 2017, the Los Angeles Times reported that Congresswoman Judy Chu (D) was arrested at a pro-immigration rally on Capitol Hill. Representative Chu serves California’s 27th District, which includes much of the Los Angeles area, including Alhambra, Monterey Park, and Pasadena. The purpose of the demonstration in which she was engaged was to call for a legislative fix to the impending end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Speaking at the rally, Rep. Chu stated that we need to ensure that “America remains a land of opportunity”. According to her office, capitol police charged her with “crowding, obstructing, or incommoding,” and she was ordered to pay a fine.
The State of DACA: Still Unclear
Keeping up with the latest news on DACA can be incredibly confusing. It seems like there are new twists and turns nearly every day. As of now, the future of the program is still in peril, though all hope is still not lost. Here is a brief overview of what we know:
President Trump Moved to End the Program, But Called on Congress to Take Action
In early September, President Trump ordered an end to DACA. As DACA was originally created by Obama Administration, and not by any act of Congress, President Trump has considerable authority to end or alter the program. Though, there are lawsuits pending that argue that he overstepped his bounds.
In ordering an end to DACA, President Trump also called on Congress to pass a replacement bill, providing some protections to Dreamers, before his Administration begins to phase out DACA protections in March of 2018.
Congress Has Yet to Act, and a Major Deadline is Approaching
Thus far, the Republican-controlled Congress has made little progress on any legislation to protect Dreamers. Representatives Chu’s protest comes at a very important time, because a major budgetary deadline is approaching this month. A budget bill must be passed in order to avoid a federal government shutdown. DACA has become a major sticking point in these talks. According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times a budget deal that includes protections for Dreamers is still possible.
Take Action: Call Your Representatives
If you support Dreamers, this is the right time to take action. We need to keep the pressure on our representatives to ensure that they make protecting Dreamers and saving DACA a priority in budget negotiations. This budget deal offers perhaps the single best opportunity for supporters the Dreamers to assert pressure on our representatives before current DACA recipients will begin to lose their status in March of 2018.
We Support Immigrants and Their Families in Los Angeles
At the Goldstein Immigration Lawyers, our legal team strongly supports DACA. We are proud to provide top quality immigration law services to clients throughout Southern California. If you have any questions or concerns about any immigration law issue or need immigration help, please call an immigration lawyer today to schedule your immigration consultation.
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