Voto Latino Celebrates 10th Anniversary of DACA Program

Today, in response to the 10th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, Voto Latino President and CEO Maria Teresa Kumar issued the following statement:

“Over the last decade, DACA has immeasurably enriched our country by allowing talented, hard working people to strengthen their families, workplaces and communities. Our country has been reminded once again that immigrants have always played a critical role in expanding our economy, our culture and our democracy. The lesson from these last ten years is clear: it’s time to provide a path to citizenship for Dreamers, their families, and other undocumented immigrants who are making our country stronger and better.

“DACA didn’t happen by itself: it came after years of activism pushing for immigration reform. Voto Latino was proud to have engaged with Dreamers across the country to help register voters who could show up on Election Day to take a stand for immigrant justice.

“We’re grateful to President Obama for enacting DACA and grateful to President Biden for supporting and strengthening it. Currently more than a million DACA eligible young people contribute more than forty billion dollars a year to our nation’s GDP, yet they’re still in legal limbo. They’ve done their patriotic duty for our country; it’s time for us to do ours. Now it’s time to make the program permanent, create a path to citizenship and move towards an immigration system that works for the twenty-first century.”

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Voto Latino is a grassroots political organization focused on educating and empowering a new generation of Latinx voters, as well as creating a more robust and inclusive democracy. Through innovative digital campaigns, culturally relevant programs and authentic voices, we shepherd the Latinx community towards the full realization of its political power.