Undocumented Community Members Hold Vigil and March at the DACA Hearing in New Orleans
Undocumented Community Members Hold Vigil and March at the DACA Hearing in New Orleans
On July 6, 2022, HANA Center’s community leaders and organizers along with hundreds of undocumented young people and families, community members, faith leaders, and allies from more than 16 different states converged upon the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in New Orleans, Louisiana to urge the court to uphold DACA.
Together, they demanded the DACA program be continued with new applications accepted, and underscored the need for Congress to legislate permanent solutions in the form of a pathway to citizenship for all 11 million undocumented immigrants who reside in the United States.
In July 2021, Judge Andrew Hanen of Texas deemed DACA unlawful and ordered that new applications be halted. Enacted via executive order by former President Barack Obama in 2012, the temporary program grants work permits and safety from deportation for hundreds of thousands of young people who arrived in the United States before June 15, 2007. DACA was hard-fought and hard-won by many Black, brown, and Asian immigrants who organized and fought relentlessly for years.
While it is likely DACA will be heard at the Supreme Court again, the ruling from this Fifth Circuit hearing for Texas v. United States could have a real immediate impact on millions of people. As soon as this year, a negative ruling from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals could end DACA and throw the lives of hundreds of thousands of people into limbo.
“Since the failure of Congress to pass budget reconciliation with a pathway to citizenship, I have felt hopeless and restless about how to keep this movement going. But this action in New Orleans is incredibly encouraging to see so many folks from across the country putting their regular lives on hold to fight for DACA. It reminded me that we will not let these setbacks stop us. DACA has undoubtedly changed lives for the better and improved the communities we live in, and it will be detrimental to the entire country if it were revoked. While DACA alone is not the solution we seek, we can build to win a permanent solution by making sure DACA is protected,” said Min Hee Cho, an impacted community leader from HANA Center.
Our community held a rally, packed the court, and marched in New Orleans to show our power, solidarity, and made it clear: DACA should be protected as the barest minimum by the courts, and we need a pathway to citizenship for all 11 million undocumented immigrants.
For more information on efforts to organize for DACA and pathways to citizenship or how to support, please contact Glo Harn Choi, HANA Center Community Organizer, at glo@hanacenter.org.
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