The Immigrant Coalition of RI Rejoices Over DACA Decision But There Is Still Work To Do

The Immigrant Coalition of Rhode Island (TIC) rejoices in the Supreme Court decision that ruled the Trump administration’s action to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program violated federal law. This is a victory for DACA recipients, their families, and their communities.

TIC especially acknowledges that this ruling comes during a time of great outrage and mourning for the countless Black individuals murdered at the hands of police officers. As immigration policy and police brutality are tools of the same system to persecute, criminalize, and disenfranchise communities of color throughout the U.S., TIC promises that yesterday’s decision will not deter us from our fight against all forms of white supremacist violence. 

The DACA program, implemented in 2012, provides undocumented individuals who entered the U.S. as children with work authorization, social security numbers, and temporary relief from deportation. Rhode Island (RI) is home to 3,000 of these individuals, 900 of whom are current DACA recipients. In September 2017, the Trump administration attempted to rescind the program. On Thursday, June 18th Supreme Court ruled that this attempt violated federal law.

Rodrigo Pimentel, one of RI’s 900 DACA recipients, spoke to the impact of the ruling, stating that “the Court's decision puts a stop to the Trump administration's current attempt to terminate the program, affording Dreamers like me - who've lived, worked, and studied here for almost our entire lives - much needed certainty in our lives for the upcoming months, especially in the context of a global pandemic. ”Pimentel also noted how the decision was not only important for DACA recipients, but for all persons residing in the United States. Pimentel explained that “under the public health crisis, over 30,000 Dreamers are working in healthcare caring for our fellow Americans, and hundreds of thousands of us are essential workers ensuring that our country can continue to function.”

In Rhode Island specifically, there are hundreds of DACA recipients who serve as essential healthcare, education, and food workers during the COVID-19 crisis. With the DACA program remaining in place for now, this means that all Rhode Islanders can continue to live in a state enriched by the hard work, talent, and strength of DACA recipients.

Importantly, it is because of the skill and powerfulness of DACA recipients and all Dreamers that the Supreme Court’s ruling became a reality. This was expressed by Javier Juarez, Executive Director of the Providence Student Union (PSU) and RI DACA recipient. Juarez stated: “this is a win for us, as it shows that the last three years of advocacy efforts and protests lead by DACA recipients like me was worth the fight- we refused to be ignored. We will continue to demand that our voices be amplified as we work for the betterment of all undocumented people throughout RI and the United States.”

Juarez also emphasized that “the decision cannot distract us from the tenuous nature of DACA protections and the possibility that the Trump administration will try again to end the program. Importantly, DACA is not a permanent solution, and as we have seen, it can be threatened at any time.”

DACA recipients live in a constant state of limbo in which their lives and livelihoods are perpetually at-risk. In addition to DACA recipients, many of their family members and thousands of other undocumented individuals throughout Rhode Island likewise face daily legal, economic, and social danger. For this reason, it is critical that the state of Rhode Island take bold, comprehensive, and immediate action to provide stable and secure support for all undocumented immigrants.

The Governor must sign and implement an Executive Order to ensure that no state resources are used to facilitate Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s (ICE) deportation agenda. This is necessary for two main reasons. First, it is unknown what actions the Trump Administration will take in the next months, and all undocumented Rhode Islanders deserve as much protection from the state as legally possible. Second, undocumented immigrants need to feel assured that is ‘safe’ to apply for the benefits from the Governor’s newly created “We are One Rhode Island” fund, which will provide cash relief to those ineligible for public assistance.

We thank the Governor for creating this fund, however much more must be done to support the undocumented population in RI. The General Assembly and Governor must:

  • Increase the benefit amounts and expand availability of the “We are One Rhode Island” relief fund

  • Expand state Medicaid eligibility to include undocumented persons

  • Sign into law the ability for undocumented students to access in-state tuition at Rhode Island higher education institutions

  • Open state financial aid to undocumented students

  • Remove immigration status and social security number requirements from all professional licensures

  • Extend the ability to obtain a state driver’s license to all undocumented persons

  • Expand state tax credits to ITIN filers (immigrants who pay taxes without a Social Security number)

The attempt to end DACA was one of the many cruel, racist, and hateful tactics by the Trump administration to tear families apart and deprive immigrant communities of basic human rights. While yesterday was a victory, Rhode Islanders, and our state leaders, cannot be complacent. For decades, undocumented immigrants, including DACA recipients and their families, have contributed to Rhode Island in powerful, meaningful ways. It is now time for Rhode Island to actively reciprocate these contributions, ensuring that all Rhode Islanders, regardless of immigration status, are treated as vital and dignified members of the Ocean State.

Coordinator