Save the Children CEO: We call upon Congress to act swiftly upon its promises to provide permanent protection to Dreamers

Washington, D.C. (October 6, 2022) – In response to yesterday’s Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is unlawful, Janti Soeripto, President and CEO of Save the Children, issued the following statement:

“We are very disappointed by this decision, which underscores the urgency for Congress to deliver the permanent protections DACA recipients and their families desperately need.

If DACA protections aren’t preserved and strengthened, Dreamers and their more than 300,000 children could face the devastating impacts of family separation. Deporting parents of U.S. citizen children and permanently separating them – particularly when those parents were brought to the U.S. as children themselves – is unjust and inhumane.

We call upon Congress to act swiftly upon its promises to provide permanent protections and a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers. The decision to act shouldn’t be difficult or controversial – DACA is one of the few immigration-related issues with broad bipartisan support.

Congress can’t continue to leave Dreamers and their families in limbo.”

Save the Children – together with its political advocacy arm, Save the Children Action Network – will continue to mobilize on behalf of Dreamers in support of the protections they deserve.

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Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. Since our founding more than 100 years ago, we've been advocating for the rights of children worldwide. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming the future we share. Our results, financial statements and charity ratings reaffirm that Save the Children is a charity you can trust. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.