Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi Denounces Congressional Inaction On DACA

WASHINGTON, DC— Today, Congressman Krishnamoorthi issued the following statement in response to the scheduled end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program:

"Six months ago, the Trump administration made clear that it would refuse to protect our nation's Dreamers when it announced plans to end the DACA program. Today, as we come to the self-imposed deadline, it is clear that Congress has also failed its obligation to protect our Dreamers.

By failing to act in a commonsense, bipartisan manner to bring legislation to the floor which would solve this crisis, Congressional leaders have endangered the wellbeing of nearly 800,000 young people, including over 42,000 in Illinois alone. Every day without a fix, more and more young people lose their ability to work, study, and stay in the only country they have known. I have had the opportunity to meet and speak with many of these young people; their courage and dedication to this country is inspirational, and reminds me why our country is great.

While the deadline has now passed, I will continue working towards a bipartisan solution in Congress. In the meantime, I urge DACA recipients to continue to apply to USCIS for renewals while the courts continue to evaluate this decision. I urge the Department of Homeland Security to protect DACA recipients and applicants' privacy from use in immigration enforcement proceedings. And, lastly, I urge my colleagues to come together to protect the Dreamers, for their sake, and our country's."