Maryland representatives react to the end of DACA

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the end of the policy known as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) on Tuesday.

DACA has been controversial and has caused a firestorm on social media.

Maryland Congressman Andy Harris released the following statement, 

"I strongly support President Trump's decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy. The Obama-era policy is a gross overreach of executive power and undermined the authority of the legislative branch. President Trump is returning that power to Congress."

But not all agree with the decision. 

U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen says this is a step backwards, 

"The Trump Administration's decision to rescind the DACA program is taking our country backwards. Over its five-year history, DACA has helped nearly 800,000 young people pursue higher education and grow our economy. Ending this program will cost our economy over $460.3 billion over ten years and displace over 685,000 workers vital to businesses in Maryland and across the nation.

And other Maryland Senator Ben Cardin agrees. He released the following statement, 

"America is a compassionate and diverse country that values hard work and community. The Trump Administration's order to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program inexplicably upends these American values and will rip apart the lives of 800,000 individuals  DREAMers  who for the most part have known no other home but the USA."

Also today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, said it was cruel to end the program, 

"President Trump is breaking his promise to hundreds of thousands of DREAMers who were brought here as childrenthrough no fault of their ownand today know only America as their home.  This is the latest in a string of broken promises by the President, like when he promised the American people over and over and over again that they would not have to pay for his border wall.  Ending DACA is cruel and heartless.  It will also damage our economy, reduce our GDP by hundreds of billions of dollars, and cost Social Security and Medicare billions in tax contributions.  I urge Speaker Ryan to stop blocking a vote in the House of Representatives on bipartisan legislation to protect the DREAMers and to implement comprehensive immigration reform. Our children are the living messages we send to a future we will never see and eliminating DACA sends a terrible message." 

DACA was started in 2012 to allow illegal immigrants brought to the United States as children, to request deferred action on their immigration status, and seek work authorization for two year periods.