The End of DACA, or the Beginning of a Political Battle?

On Tuesday, September 5th, 2017, Jeff Sessions announced President Donald Trump’s anticipations to end Obama’s DACA program at a Department of Justice news conference. Leaving many Americans who are undocumented immigrants facing the possibility of being deported.. Donald Trump and his administration are at a loss of control over the issues with illegal immigrants, and deportation is his way of fixing this issue. Sessions claimed the Obama Administration of disrespecting the legislative process bycalling DACA, “an open-ended circumvention of immigration laws.” The US has lain it’s foundation on all backgrounds, ethnicities, religions, and has always been known for being a home to immigrants and a place for people to come with the goals of bettering their lives.

Many of us at HF know this personally to be true, as some of our great-grandparents and grandparents have legally emigrated from other countries, building a life of opportunity for their families. While many immigrants have a positive experience, not all are lucky enough to have that, as a result of being an undocumented, illegal immigrant. Many of these people undoubtedly call America their one true home, despite the legal issue. For example, Cesar Vargas, the co-director of the Dream Action Coalition said in a statement, “with or without DACA, I am an American, I am an attorney, and this is the country I call home.” According to the one of the US constitutional principles, civil liberties, there is a “delicate balance between the civil rights of the individual with the security, welfare and needs of American society as a whole,” and this is shown exactly with the people who consider themselves to be Americans, but as an illegal immigrant our country is only responsible for protecting the rights and needs of legal American citizens.

Junior student at HF, Sophia De Matteo, does not support Trump's decision to end DACA, as she exclaims, “I believe that there are many ways Trump could have handled the situation more effectively, and he is unfit to be president. This is a scary time for not only immigrants, but Americans as a whole. We should all learn from this and use our differences to bring us together.”  great quote! With the basis of our constitution, our government officials, immigrants and with everyday Americans, we can find somewhere to meet in the middle to satisfy the needs of all Americans.