Washington, DC – This week, a U.S. District Court judge ruled against the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which has provided deportation relief and work permits for over 500,000 people who arrived in this country undocumented as children, declaring it to be illegal. Megan Mack, director of the Immigration Hub at the Vera Institute of Justice, issued the following statement:

“We cannot continue to keep DACA recipients who have spent most of their lives living and working in this country vulnerable and in a state of limbo due to politics and court rulings. It is time for a permanent solution. This latest ruling plainly shows that Congress and the president must finally take decisive action to protect DACA recipients. The only way to deliver justice and provide the dignity, respect, and safety we all deserve in this country is through legislative action that creates a clear pathway to citizenship for all DACA recipients and DACA eligible youth and their families.”

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About the Vera Institute of Justice
The Vera Institute of Justice is powered by hundreds of advocates, researchers, and policy experts working to transform the criminal legal and immigration systems until they’re fair for all. Founded in 1961 to advocate for alternatives to money bail in New York City, Vera is now a national organization that partners with impacted communities and government leaders for change. We develop just, antiracist solutions so that money doesn’t determine freedom; fewer people are in jails, prisons, and immigration detention; and everyone is treated with dignity. Vera’s headquarters is in Brooklyn, New York, with offices in Washington, DC, New Orleans, and Los Angeles. For more information, visit vera.org.