WASHINGTON— American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten released the following statement on the fifth anniversary of the effective date of President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which gives recipients a temporary reprieve from deportation and makes them eligible for a work permit:

“Five years ago, President Obama took a huge step toward fairness by welcoming children who were brought to the United States, by authorizing the DACA program, which enables these aspiring Americans to adjust their immigration status. He recognized that young men and women who call America ‘home’ shouldn’t be punished for how they entered our country; they should be celebrated and protected. More than 850,000 individuals have benefited from DACA and are strengthening local economies, contributing more than $2 billion annually in local and state taxes. They are teachers, lawyers, nurses, entertainers and grass-roots organizers, and they are pursuing their dreams and diversifying our classrooms, workforce and culture.

“DACA recipients want the opportunity to provide for themselves, their family and their communities. They deserve the opportunity to achieve the American dream and to give back to the country that gave them that chance. The AFT will continue to fight to defend DACA and individuals with temporary protective status, and to protect immigrant youth and their families from the threat of deportation. The time has come for President Trump and Congress to offer comprehensive solutions to our broken immigration system—solutions centered around inclusion, opportunity and compassion, not exclusion, deportation and bigotry.”

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