Press Release: 12 Years of DACA, Local Officials Must Stand Up for DACA Recipients in Lake County
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sandra Diaz, Communications Director, Center for Immigrant Progress sandra@centerforimmigrantprogress.org
Contact: Giselle Rodriguez, Executive Director, Illinois Workers in Action grodriguez@illinoisworkersinaction.org
Contact: Celeste Flores, Director of Community Building, Mano a Mano Family Resource Center cflores@mamfrc.org
12 Years of DACA: Local Officials Must Stand Up for DACA Recipients in Lake County
Lake County Advocates Call on Local Leaders to Prepare for the Loss of DACA and Advocate for a Permanent Solution
Lake County, IL – June 13, 2024
June 15, 2024, marks the 12th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, yet our immigrant communities continue to face uncertainty and hardship. As we commemorate this milestone, it's critical to acknowledge that DACA faces a real threat of being dismantled by the Supreme Court in 2025, and local communities like Lake County must prepare to respond and protect DACA recipients living in our communities.
“When I first received DACA, I was a high school graduate uncertain about my future. Today, I am no longer a teenager but a full adult contributing culturally, economically, and socially to my community without permanent relief. As DACA faces a real threat in 2025, local leaders must be proactive and prepare to advocate and support DACA recipients living in Lake County.” said Sandra Diaz, Communications Director of Center for Immigrant Progress.
“Lake County thrives because of the invaluable contributions of hundreds of DACA recipients who enrich our communities in countless ways. They are our neighbors, raising their families and building their lives here. For many, Lake County is not just a place to live; it is home. It is imperative that suburbs like Lake County recognize their contributions and become safe havens for DACA recipients. We must be proactive, and act urgently, to protect them from the threat of deportation. Their future, and our community’s future, depend on it,” said Dulce Ortiz, Executive Director of Mano a Mano Family Resource Center.
“The DACA program as it stands was never enough. It left out thousands of undocumented youth who, like me, have grown into adults with families and deep roots in their community despite not having a work permit or relief from deportation. As 12 years have passed without a real solution, there is now a new generation of undocumented youth who need the protection and opportunity DACA provides,” said Giselle Rodriguez, Executive Director of Illinois Workers in Action.
As we reflect on DACA's 12 years of existence, we must also prepare for the possibility that DACA will no longer exist. Organizations, businesses, local governments, religious and community leaders, and other sectors must formulate a plan to support DACA recipients by discussing this issue, developing strategies to sustain DACA recipients’ employment, and advocating to protect DACA recipients from deportation. Let us stand together in demanding permanent protections and solutions with a pathway to citizenship that recognizes the humanity and contributions of DACA recipients to our communities across the country, including Lake County.
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The Center for Immigrant Progress is a grassroots organization whose mission is to build communities that provide protection, education, and social and economic opportunity for immigrant children and families.
Mano a Mano Family Resource Center’s mission is to empower immigrants and their families to become full participants in their community.
Illinois Workers in Action (IWA) mission is to empower workers through education, organizing, policy, solidarity, worker power, develop leadership in the workplace, and offer resources to families and the community.
