Cardinal DiNardo's Statement on DACA decision

June 19, 2020

DACA is a shorthand for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, and it refers to Federal Policy about immigrants brought here as children who are not here legally.  The policy allows them to receive a two-year renewable period of deferred action on deportation.  Such applicants can ask for a work visa and other legal grants that would enable a permanent visa to live in the United States.

There are a large number of immigrants brought to the United States as children who are not documented.  They have grown up here, gone to school here and only know the United States as their home country. There may be more than 700,000 such young people here.

The current Administration tried to deport them through an ending of the policy enacted in the former Administration. Legal battles ensued and the case landed in the Supreme Court which on June 18 the Court stopped the Administration from terminating the program—and did so on procedural terms.  The news is good for DACA recipients but the case is not over.

While I welcome the Court’s decision we now must go back to Congress, where these matters belong, to arrive at a just settlement that will recognize DACA recipients as genuine members of the United States who indeed have their “home” here.  I hope we can work on all sides for a just resolution of this important matter for our immigrants here in the United States.