Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, otherwise known as DACA, is on its way out.
On Tuesday, President Trump rescinded the Obama-era executive action that protects immigrants who arrived in this country illegally as children, but not before stipulating that congress has a six month window until March 5, 2018, to replace DACA with legislation. Until that time, DACA will remain in place.
The 800,000 people protected by DACA from deportation will not be immediately affected by what the Trump administration is calling an “orderly wind down” of Obama’s executive action.
“The nation must set and enforce a limit on how many immigrants we accept each year, and that means all cannot be accepted,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions to reporters on Tuesday morning.
It is unclear whether or not a Republican-controlled Congress are willing to pass legislative protections for these young immigrants.
In 2016, UNC President Kay Norton, along with several other college presidents from across the country, called for president Trump to continue to uphold DACA. Prior to the knowledge that Trump would allow DACA to expire, the university plans to hold a DACA solidarity rally known as Dreamers Without Borders. The event is scheduled from 6-8 p.m on Tuesday Sept. 7 at the Garden Theatre.
