New polling from CBS News finds an overwhelming majority of Americans want beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to stay in the United States. “Support for DACA extends across party lines and demographic groups,” the CBS News report said, including 95% of Democrats, 84% of independents, and 73% of Republicans. Overall, 85% of Americans say DACA recipients’ home is here.
The polling comes as families continue waiting for the Supreme Court to rule on the Trump administration’s termination of the program. No decision came today, with advocates saying we’ll likely know later in the week about the next possible decision date. “There is so much palpable collective pain,” tweeted recipient Reyna Montoya. “No matter the outcome, I pray for every person I’ve met. DACA symbolizes so much hope, not only for recipients, but for our families & loved ones.”
The polling also comes just a few days after the one year anniversary of the House passing the Dream and Promise Act, which would put more than 2 million immigrants, including DACA recipients, onto a path to citizenship. Among them is Luz Chavez Gonzales, who said during a press call that she’s dealing with struggling to support her family amid the novel coronavirus pandemic in addition to waiting for the court’s decision.
“Since the outbreak of COVID-19, I’ve become the sole provider of my household,” she said during the Thursday press call. “I live with my parents and two siblings, and they’ve all lost their jobs […] if the Supreme Court sides with Trump and I lose my DACA, not only would my family lose their only source of income, but I could be a priority for deportation from Trump’s deportation force.”
During the press call, Democratic leaders including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi slammed Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for refusing to act on the legislation, saying “One year ago, House Democrats took a momentous step forward for justice by passing H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act. Yet, for 365 days, Leader McConnell has refused to take up this legislation, which has the overwhelming support of the American people.”
Should the conservative justices side with impeached president Donald Trump on DACA, they’ll join McConnell in becoming part of the fringe number of Americans who support the deportation of hundreds of thousands of young immigrants. His mass deportation agents have said they’re ready, following an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official confirming to a Senate committee that the agency is set to deport recipients with final orders of removal.
“My gut hurts,” Montoya recently told the Associated Press. “It’s this constant level of anxiety.” Following the news that there would be no decision on Monday, immigrant rights advocacy group America’s Voice said “the decision could be just days or weeks away as we edge towards the end of term. It's hard to emphasize enough how much is on the line for recipients, their families, and our country as a whole.”