^{FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE}

^{October 10, 2024}

^CONTACT:

^{Yanci Nuñez | ynunez@alianzaamericas.org (312) 866-0312}

Chicago, IL - As the future of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) hangs in the balance, Alianza Americas stands in solidarity with immigrant families nationwide ahead of today's critical hearing in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. The court now faces a crucial choice: to uphold protections that keep families together or risk the safety and stability of thousands who depend on DACA. For over a decade, DACA has provided temporary protection from deportation and work authorization for more than 500,000 individuals who arrived in the U.S. as children. DACA recipients are deeply embedded in American society, with nearly one million U.S. citizens who are relatives of a DACA recipient.

“DACA recipients have lived in a state of uncertainty for years. Once again, our futures remain in the hands of the courts. We need immediate action from Congress to permanently protect DACA recipients and our families,” said Dulce Guzmán, Executive Director of Alianza Americas. “Moreover, the administration enacted DACA within its powers, and arguments against it deny the Executive branch's role in enacting immigration policy," added Guzmán.

 “We are not an economic burden. We are key components of every part of U.S. society. We are spouses, parents, children, employers, students, teachers, healthcare workers, artists, and caregivers, and community workers, among many other roles that we play. We add billions of dollars to the national, state, and local economies, and we pay taxes,” said Daniela Carvajal of Centro Presente in Boston. Contrary to the arguments presented to claim standing by the States, DACA recipients are a contribution to the States, not an economic burden. 

“Since 2017, DACA recipients have been treated as disposable. Today’s hearing is not just a legal proceeding—it’s about real people whose futures are on the line,” concluded Karina Alvarez-Espinoza, from Center for Immigrant Progress in Illinois. 

Alianza Americas, along with its network of 58 immigrant-led organizations from across Latin America and the Caribbean, will continue to fight for permanent protections that ensure the well-being and unity of our communities. We will continue to elevate the realities of DACA recipients and mobilize our communities to demand a permanent solution.

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Alianza Americas is the premier transnational advocacy network of Latin American migrant-led organizations working in the United States, across the Americas, and globally to create an inclusive, equitable and sustainable way of life for communities across North, Central and South America.