CHICAGO–(ENEWSPF)–June 23, 2016. Today, the Supreme Court delivered its decision over Texas vs. US, the lawsuit which 26 Republican states lodged against the deferred action programs announced on November 20, 2014. Notwithstanding widespread agreement over the program’s’ constitutionality, benefits, and the need for expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA+) and Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA), the Supreme Court reached a 4-4 decision. The tie means that DAPA/DACA+ will not be moving forward at the moment.
Amidst a backdrop of mass and ongoing immigration raids throughout the country, increased ICE civil and human rights violations, and the specter of a possible Trump Presidency, the Supreme Court’s decision comes as an insult to immigrant communities suffering at the hands of the deportation machine created under the Obama administration. Although DAPA and DACA+, which would have excluded an estimated 7 million individuals from protection, represented just a small part of what is needed for immigrant justice, the hard-fought deferred action programs are absolutely needed.
“Our community has been let down by the Supreme Court today, but failure also rests with President Obama and the Democratic party. They played political football with our community, and failed to deliver on the promises of relief they made. If Obama does not take immediate steps to stop deportations and address ICE abuse, his administration’s only legacy to immigrant communities will be the monstrous deportation machine built over the past decade. As a community, we will need to redouble our efforts in order to pressure Obama to issue a moratorium on deportations and to dismantle the deportation machine his administration has built before he leaves office,” Rosi Carrasco, OCAD organizer.
In response to the Supreme Court’s decision, OCAD will hold an emergency community forum today, Thursday, June 23 at 6 PM at 1900 S. Carpenter St. to develop immediate strategies for community defense and continued organizing against deportations and ICE abuse.
Following the Supreme Court’s failure to uphold DAPA and DACA+, locally elected officials can and should take steps to do everything in their power to ensure immigrant residents are safe from detention and deportation. Locally, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and City Council must act to do everything in their power to ensure the City of Chicago is truly a Sanctuary city. They can start by enacting amendments to the “Welcoming Cities” Ordinance to remove existing “carveouts” or exceptions that continue to provide loopholes for police/ICE collaboration in Chicago.
Source: Organized Communities Against Deportation