LEADER JEFFRIES: “IT’S IMPERATIVE THAT THE DACA PROGRAM BE CONTINUED, SUPPORTED AND EMBRACED”

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries joined the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Democratic leaders for a press conference ahead of the 14th anniversary of DACA, where he emphasized that while Donald Trump said his immigration enforcement efforts would target violent felons, they have instead come after families, children and Dreamers.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Good morning, everyone. And thank you, Adriano, for your friendship, for your partnership, for your leadership, for bringing us all together in support of these incredible DACA recipients who are here with us and in support of the DACA program here in the United States of America. I want to thank all of my colleagues in government. Of course, Whip Katherine Clark, my good friend Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia, who's been a leader and a champion on this issue and, of course, Adelita Grijalva, one of our newest Members, who's off to a phenomenal start and so appreciative for her presence and her forceful leadership.

Donald Trump promised that his immigration enforcement efforts were going to target the worst of the worst and violent felons. That's not what's happening. Donald Trump's mass deportation machine has targeted children, law-abiding immigrant families, mothers, fathers, grandfathers, grandmothers, husbands, wives, Dreamers and DACA recipients in a manner that's entirely inconsistent with America's status as a nation of immigrants. It's one of the most important ingredients of American exceptionalism and our success. DACA recipients and Dreamers are as American as motherhood, baseball and apple pie. They are incredibly hardworking, patriotic members of their community, who have contributed in so many different ways. And it's imperative that the DACA program be continued and supported and embraced because it's good for America, which is why the American people support our Dreamers and support DACA recipients and support an extension of this program.

Here in America, year after year, decade after decade, century after century, people have come from all over the world to contribute to who we are as a nation, now approaching our 250th birthday. That's what DACA recipients represent. That's what the young people behind me represent, the best of America-law-abiding immigrants who were brought here as children, who don't know the country from which they were originally born because they are part of the fabric of this country here in America. And we will continue to support them today, tomorrow, always and forever. And when we take back control of the House of Representatives, one of our priorities will continue to be, under the leadership of Chairman Adriano Espaillat and Representative Sylvia Garcia, passing into law the Dream and Promise Act.

Full press conference can be watched here.

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