National Council of Asian Pacific Americans Marks Fifth Anniversary of DACA

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Over the past five years, nearly 800,000 undocumented immigrants have benefitted from DACA, which has provided them reprieve from deportation and the ability to legally work or go to school, providing a boost to the American economy.

Nearly one out of 10 Asian Americans is undocumented, and AAPI advocacy organizations have been working to preserve DACA and to ensure a higher DACA application rate in our communities. However, while the original DACA program remains, the federal government has not made progress in passing comprehensive immigration reform or providing a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients.

Immigrants continue to live in constant fear over deportation and being separated from their families and loved ones. NCAPA will continue to reject the anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies of this administration, and we urge our communities to make their voices louder and stronger to their representatives to preserve DACA and keep families together.

"Today we celebrate the successes of hundreds of thousands of young people who are able to use DACA to continue their education and serve their communities,” said Kenneth L. Lee, CEO of OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates, a co-chair of NCAPA’s Immigration Committee. “At the same time, we recognize that DACA is not a permanent solution. We must continue to advocate for immigrant communities at every level of government and make sure all immigrants are treated with dignity and have a pathway to citizenship."

"South Asian Americans make up the fastest-growing undocumented immigrant population in the U.S., yet our voices are often unheard in conversations around immigration,” said Suman Raghunathan, executive director of South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT). “While we mark the five-year anniversary of DACA, we reflect on how much the program has helped and empowered our communities, but we have much more work to do to combat the anti-immigrant, xenophobic rhetoric of this administration. We commit to take action to protect our communities and all immigrants."

Engage on social media using #SaveDACA.

###

Based in Washington, D.C., the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans is a coalition of 34 national Asian Pacific American organizations that serves to represent the interests of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities and to provide a national voice for our communities’ concerns. Our communities are the fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the United States, currently making up approximately six percent of the population.