A bipartisan group of governors, including Utah’s Gary Herbert, sent a letter to congressional leaders Wednesday, asking to protect DACA recipients from deportation after President Donald Trump rescinded the Obama-era program allowing them temporary legal status.
In the letter, the 11 governors — from Alaska, Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah and Vermont — urged leaders to quickly draft a bipartisan bill to protect young people who were eligible for the Deferred Action Against Childhood Arrivals program but are now, or will soon be, eligible for deportation.
Under DACA, recipients were granted temporary legal status, meaning they could go to school, get a work permit and get a driver license. Trump announced that he’d rescind the program in September, but he delayed the action for six months to give lawmakers time to prepare legislation to address those affected by the recision.
In 2017, about 800,000 people qualified for the program. Since the program was rescinded, 12,000 have lost their protective status, and those numbers will “accelerate dramatically without a legislative fix,” according to the letter.
Five Republican governors, five Democratic governors and one Independent governor signed the letter, which was sent to House Speaker Paul Ryan, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer.
“We stand with these young American immigrants not only because it is good for our community and a strong American 21st century economy, but also because it is the right thing for our nation to do,” they wrote.
Herbert tweeted the letter Wednesday morning, saying he was proud to be among “fellow governors from across the nation — and both sides of the aisle — in support of #DACA.”
“We must ensure a bright future for America’s dreamers,” he said.
