DACA First…Contact Your Elected Leaders

Village Independent Democrats urges support of DACA first.   We stand with elected officials, law enforcement professionals, faith and civic leaders in supporting Dreamers and DACA recipients.  We recognize their enormous positive and productive role in our communities, and their contributions to our schools, workplaces, and shared prosperity as a nation.

Here’s our message.  Copy and send,liberally, to: 
Congress Member Jerold Nadler 
Sen Charles Schumer, 
Congress Member Carolyn Maloney
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand

Dear Congressman Nadler,

Village Independent Democrats stands with elected officials, law enforcement professionals, faith and civic leaders in supporting Dreamers and DACA recipients.  We recognize their enormous positive and productive role in our communities, and their contributions to our schools, workplaces, and shared prosperity as a nation.
 
Since June 2012, nearly 800,000 young people who came to the United States as children have passed background checks and received permission to live and work in America.  Through DACA, they have advanced their education, started businesses, and established themselves as integral members of our society.
 
Ending DACA would put these young people at risk of deportation and separation from their families and our communities.  Not only would this would be senselessly cruel, it would remove hundreds of thousands of young men and women from our workforce.  It would cost the country an estimated $460.3 billion in lost Gross Domestic Product over a decade and tens of billions more in contributions to Medicare and Social Security.  It would force businesses to incur $3.4 billion in turnover costs.
 
In late June, attorneys general from ten states threatened to sue the Trump Administration if it does not end DACA; but twice that number wrote to encourage the administration to maintain and defend the initiative. 
 
We urge President Trump, Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, and our members of Congress to keep their political and moral commitments to preserve DACA.  We also encourage President Trump and Republicans and Democrats in Congress to enact legislation that replaces fear and uncertainty with permanent protection for Dreamers. The recently introduced stand-alone Dream Act of 2017 would do that and we support it.
 
Dreamers and DACA recipients have enriched and strengthened American cities, states, schools, businesses, and religious institutions.  It is a moral imperative that the the country recognize them, value them, and stand with them.  Let them fulfill their destiny in the United States of America.  

Thank you,

Erik Coler                                                                               
President                                                                                
Village Independent Democrats

Executive Committeee
Village Independent Democrats