Dozens of DACA recipients and allies are marching 230 miles from New York to D.C. to defend program

Beginning this weekend at a rally in view of the State of Liberty, a group of Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status holders, and their allies plan to march 230 miles from New York City to Washington, D.C., where the Supreme Court will on Nov. 12 hear litigation around the Trump administration’s unlawful termination of the successful and popular Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

For marchers like Eliana Fernández, it’s no exaggeration to say that everything is on the line. Without her protections, the DACA recipient told NY Daily News, “I won’t be able to work … I won’t be able to pay off my mortgage. My biggest concern as a parent is losing deportation protections. It’s something I worry about on a daily basis. What will happen if I’m taken away from my kids?”

She hasn’t been alone. As the November court date and 2020 decision looms, young immigrants are reporting increased uncertainty about their future, including fears of detention, deportation, and separation from their families, a recent survey found. 

“Fear of family separation is particularly strong among DACA recipients who are parents,” the survey found. “Among those with children, 75 percent reported that they think about ‘being separated from [their] children because of deportation’ at least once a day, while 72 percent reported thinking about ‘not being able to see [their] children grow up because of deportation’ at least once a day.”

To raise awareness about just how much is at stake in the justices’ decision, marchers—who include leaders from Make The Road New York, NAKASEC, CASA, and other allies—plan to walk during a 16-day period from New York City to Philadelphia to Baltimore “and finally to the steps of the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., in time for opening of the DACA case.”

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In a first-of-its-kind video legal brief filed this month at the court by United We Dream, another DACA recipient, bilingual teacher Maricruz R., shared how she serves as both an educator and role model for her students, many of whom have parents who are farm workers. “When we read books about farm workers,” the Oregon teacher said, “I am able to share my stories with them of when I worked in the fields.”

Back in New York, Fernández, who is an organizer with immigrant rights advocacy group Make The Road New York, tweeted, “this fight’s bigger than me, I owe it to my children because they are my biggest treasure. I won't let this administration tear us apart, and that’s the reason why I am marching 230 miles to defend DACA.” Click here to find out more about the march.

from Daily Kos https://ift.tt/2MGVFRN