FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Megan Bailey, [email protected]
Little Rock, AR – The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas (ACLU of Arkansas) today criticized Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin for joining Texas and other states in urging a federal judge to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
DACA has protected close to 800,000 young people – among them, 5,000 Arkansans – from deportation and has allowed young people to pursue educational and professional opportunities and support our communities. Tuesday’s filings state that no new DACA applications should be accepted and, in two years, no Dreamers should be granted renewal. This would strip the protection from deportation from all Dreamers, putting thousands of Arkansans at significant risk.
“These young, bright people are Arkansans and Americans and should not be treated like political yo-yos,” said Holly Dickson, executive director of the ACLU of Arkansas. “By choosing to continue in this lawsuit, Attorney General Griffin is saying that the state of Arkansas officially is not a place of welcome and inclusion and that we should stand in the way of young Arkansans realizing their potential and continuing to positively contribute to our state. We call on him to reverse course and instead show support for the thousands of Arkansans protected by DACA and the enrichment these young people provide us.”
“Many DACA recipients have lived here since they were babies,” Dickson said. “They are an integral part of Arkansas’s vibrant communities and economy. The state should be using its official powers to uplift Arkansans who are protected by DACA and help them feel like they truly belong in their home state.”
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