New York, NY – The Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) strongly opposes the Administration’s decision to repeal the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, revoking protections for nearly 800,000 people who are now at risk of deportation and separation from their families.

Since 2012, the DACA program has enabled eligible undocumented young people brought to this country as children to voluntarily come forward and pass background checks in exchange for permission to live and work in America without fear of deportation. Ending this protection will inflict needless suffering, separating families and costing our national economy an estimated $460 billion over the next decade.

The Jewish community has a long history of active engagement in supporting new immigrants and developing our nation’s immigration policy. We believe that Congress must enact a permanent solution and we call on lawmakers to act immediately to protect immigrant youth by passing the “Dream Act of 2017,” bipartisan legislation that would replace fear and uncertainty with permanent protection.

“Our government made a promise to protect these young people who were brought to this country as children, who know no other country but the United States, and who seek only to live and work without fear,” said David Bernstein, President and CEO of JCPA. “It is both our civic and moral duty to uphold that promise.”