FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 18, 2020
CONTACT: Sam Yu | 213-703-0992 | syu@nakasec.org
“Victory for immigrant youth! We are one step closer to #Citizenship4All!”
Chicago, IL – In a 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court declared that the Trump administration was not legally authorized to terminate Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in 2017. This presidential action in 2017 sparked a series of litigation challenges that ultimately resulted in the preservation of the program’s protection for existing DACA recipients. Over 120,000 young people eligible for DACA are Asian American, a program that is supported by over 80% of the American people.
Clara Kim, DACA recipient and NAKASEC VA community leader, shared:
“This victory is a testament to our power. When we organize, we win–and this is only the beginning. We know that justice for our people does not end with DACA. Our fight has always been for a pathway to citizenship for all 11 million of us, regardless of our age, ethnicity, or past history with incarceration. We demand nothing short of citizenship for all, and will fight for every single one of us until we win.”
This Supreme Court ruling is a victory for the Asian American and broader immigrant community. It is the result of the most impacted community members marching 230 miles from New York to D.C., holding vigils outside of the Supreme Court, amongst many other actions across the country. Organizations like NAKASEC & Affiliates can now focus on new DACA applications and renewals, and organizing towards a permanent solution for young immigrants and their families. #Citizenship4All
It’s important to note that despite this victory, the Trump administration has hinted that they might pursue other avenues to end the program, and the decision does not stop the administration from ending the program all together. Please sign up for our email listserve at www.nakasec.org to keep updated on latest developments.
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Founded in 1994, the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC)’s mission is to organize Korean and Asian Americans to achieve social, economic, and racial justice. NAKASEC maintains offices in Annandale, Virginia, Chicago, Illinois and Los Angeles, California. NAKASEC has affiliates in Chicago (HANA Center), Los Angeles and Orange County (Korean Resource Center), Philadelphia (Woori Center), and Virginia (NAKASEC VA).
