Hundreds of immigrant rights activists on Monday marched through downtown Atlanta in support of an Obama administration program that is temporarily granting them work permits and protecting them from deportation.
President Donald Trump, according to published reports, is expected to announce Tuesday that he will end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, in six months. The aim is to get Congress to pass legislation that would shield from deportation Dreamers, or immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as young children without authorization.
As of March 31, federal records show, 24,135 people in Georgia have been approved for DACA. Nationwide, that number is 787,580.
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Chanting “Undocumented, unafraid,” the demonstrators marched to the Atlanta City Detention Center, carrying signs that said “Defend DACA” and “Dump Trump.”
“We stand here today as immigrants, as people of color and as people who care for one another to say we will not stand for this hatred,” said Aisha Yaqoob, policy director for Asian Americans Advancing Justice Atlanta. “Please stand with me and make sure you are demanding our representatives in Congress are taking the best steps necessary to make positive and meaningful legislation to protect all of our immigrant communities today.”
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