Earlier today, the US Supreme Court ruled, in a 5-4 decision, to allow the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to continue for the time being, upholding the rights of over 800,000 young immigrants and their families to live in this country without fear or distress. National CAPACD applauds the Supreme Court’s decision, which challenges the Administration’s xenophobic agenda by stating that the Administration’s attempt to terminate the DACA program was “arbitrary and capricious.” We know that this decision does not permanently protect the DACA program, nor is the program on its own sufficient to address the need for comprehensive immigration reform. Nonetheless, we are encouraged by this victory, which affirms the millions of immigrants who lend their presence, labor, and service to make this country better with little to no return for their contributions.
The DACA victory today comes on the heels of a landmark 6-3 Supreme Court decision earlier this week that states lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) people cannot be fired or discriminated against in the workplace under the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964. This decision establishes legal protections and precedent for millions of LGBTQ people to navigate the workplace free from discrimination, and affirms their right to dignity and respect.
National CAPACD Executive Director Seema Agnani states “We have witnessed the tragedies of our broken system far too often, a system intentionally designed to fail Black communities and leave our communities behind. In the last few weeks, we have been called to show up for Black communities, confront our complicity, and challenge our broken system – and to do this while continuing to support our communities hard hit by COVID-19. The Supreme Court decisions this week are a testament to the power of our collective movement to win meaningful, intersectional change for our communities. Today’s win comes on the eve of Juneteenth, reminding us that we cannot afford to be distracted or divided any longer – these wins only deepen our mandate to show up for one another. We will continue to advocate for comprehensive and humane immigration reform; challenge discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity; demand that all #BlackLivesMatter; and push for policies that rebuild our system to be equitable and just.”
Today, National CAPACD celebrates our members, partners, and allies for their tremendous advocacy and organizing to protect DACA, and their unwavering commitment to the millions of immigrants who call the United States their home. National CAPACD looks to Congress now to push forward a permanent pathway to citizenship for all immigrants.
