Rep. Patricia Royal Caballero House District 13 | Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter
The Trump administration has announced plans to terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, a move that could affect over 800,000 young undocumented immigrants. This announcement comes amidst ongoing national emergencies along the Gulf Coast. DACA was introduced by the Obama administration to protect young undocumented immigrants from deportation and allow them to work and attend school in the U.S.
Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune issued a statement reaffirming support for DACA and other immigration initiatives like the Dream Act and Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA). "The Sierra Club is in total solidarity with immigrants threatened by the Trump administration — the struggles to protect our communities and our environment cannot be separated," Brune stated.
Brune highlighted that DACA provides a renewable two-year period for certain undocumented immigrants who entered as children to avoid deportation. Similarly, DAPA was proposed to offer similar protections to undocumented parents of American citizens or lawful permanent residents. The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act aims to grant conditional citizenship status to DACA beneficiaries and other qualifying individuals.
The Sierra Club expressed its opposition to legislative proposals that might use these programs as leverage for policies perceived as harmful or xenophobic, such as funding for a border wall. They emphasized their commitment to supporting pathways for all undocumented residents seeking protection from deportation.
