Boise, ID – In response to the recent announcement that Idaho Attorney General Lawrence G. Wasden and Governor C.L. Butch Otter would support a suit against the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program, ACLU of Idaho Executive Director Leo Morales had the following statement:
“In Idaho we believe in the shared values of hard work, opportunity and family. Yet, Idaho’s Attorney General Lawrence G. Wasden and Governor C.L. Butch Otter most recent support for ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program strays away from these values.
The DACA program has allowed many young people to pursue an education, work, and contribute to our communities across Idaho. Hundreds of thousands of people from across the country were given an opportunity to come out of the shadows with confidence to pursue their lives in a state they call home. The Idahoans in the DACA program are our neighbors, friends and colleagues; they are a part of our Idaho communities.
Idaho’s most recent announcement to end the program is a clear attack against the immigrant community and our shared Idaho values of hard work, family and opportunity. The ACLU of Idaho is grounded in the fight to defend and advance the rights of immigrants of all walks of life, including the DACA program, which serves as a reminder that this country still believes in all of our potential and welcomes our contributions.”
Background on DACA for statements: In order to be eligible for DACA, a person needs to be under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012; enter the United States prior to their 16th birthday; be currently in the United States; be in school, have graduated, or completed a general education program; and pass a background check. 17 states have statewide policies permitting DACA recipients pay in-state tuition at all state institutions of higher education. All states now allow DACA recipients to obtain driver’s licenses.