Hartford, Ct. – In response to reports that the Trump administration will rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), created by President Obama in 2012 to protect immigrants who came to this country as children, Connecticut Democratic Party Chairman Nick Balletto released the following statement.

“Donald Trump has once again turned his back on Connecticut’s immigrant students and families. this action will force thousands of immigrants back into the shadows, tear families and communities apart, and deal a devastating blow to the nearly 800,000 young immigrants who only know this country as their home. Trump and his Republican allies are choosing to further divide our country, create fear in our communities, and hurt our economy.

“The president’s cruel actions show once again just how extreme today’s Republican Party has become. Democrats proudly stand by the nearly 5,000 DACA beneficiaries in Connecticut and believe that our state’s biggest strength is our diversity. We will continue to work to fix our broken immigration system and support the DREAMers who are contributing to our economy and the cultural fabric of our state. We urge Connecticut Republicans to break their silence and join Democrats in speaking out against yet another extreme policy from this backwards administration.”