PHILADELPHIA—Mayor Jim Kenney has released the following statement on President’s Trump decision to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) protections. DACA allows certain undocumented residents who entered the country as minors to receive renewable two-year periods of deferred action from deportation and eligibility for a work permit. For more information about the impact of the decision and how you can help Dreamers visit the DACA section our Immigration Action Guide.

“Today’s decision is a tragedy.  Ending the DACA program is not only cruel, it is detrimental to our health as a nation and inherently un-American. Those who have benefitted from the DACA program came here with their parents searching for a better life and more opportunities. They escaped violence, natural disasters and hunger. Today, many are thriving as students and young professionals, and contributing to the vibrant fabric of our nation. In Pennsylvania, DACA has allowed nearly 5,900 young people to come forward, pass background checks, and live and work legally in the country.  Ending DACA would cost Pennsylvania nearly $357.1 million in annual GDP losses.  To our Philadelphian DACA recipients – we respect you, we love you, and don’t let anyone ever tell you you’re not an American.”