Gotham Gazette

The Place for New York Policy and politics

DACA

DACA

  • Democrats Must Act on Immigration Reform While They Still Can

    A naturalization ceremony (photo: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)


    The midterm elections are now behind us and the lame-duck session is the perfect time to tackle a long-standing problem: immigration policy. The issue has a profound bearing on most Americans' communities and schools, as well as their economic interests and notions of justice.

    Specifically, Democrats must finally codify the rights of Dreamers, those who are beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and remedy continuing

    ...
  • DACA at 10: My American Journey and the Work Ahead for Others

    A naturalization ceremony (photo: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)


    Ten years ago, the Obama administration announced that people who came to the United States without documentation as children could apply for basic protection on their immigration status. Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have received Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), including an estimated 30,000 DACA recipients in New York City. Without DACA, these young people would be stuck on the margins of American life as undocumented immigrants. I

    ...
  • The Health of Our Cities Depends on DACA, and a Path to Citizenship for Dreamers

    adv stand council

    DACA supporters (photo: John McCarten/City Council)


    President Biden has taken steps to make the lives of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients better by introducing a bill that has expedited a pathway to citizenship for them. While preserving and even fortifying DACA is a necessary immediate step, merely restoring the program’s initial provisions is no longer enough. What we owe DACA recipients is what we owe all immigrants who have contributed to our country: a pathway to permanent residency or citizenship so they can plan a

    ...
  • 3 Potential Outcomes SCOTUS Might Reach on DACA

    afsc or united

    SCOTUS will soon rule on DACA in some way (photo: @afsc_org)


    Scores of facebook messages and emails fill my inbox each day from immigrant youth protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program — the Obama-era initiative that provided work authorization and protection against deportation for undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children.

    They ask the same question: what will the U.S. Supreme Court decide on DACA. 

    Any day now, the nine justices will answer this question that will decide the fate of ...

  • Standing Up for Immigrants in Your Neighborhood

    wethepeople1

    We The People


    When the President recently reportedly referred to El Salvador, Haiti, and African nations as “s***hole countries,” it once again served as a reminder of the rampant prejudice and discrimination experienced by immigrants and ethnic minorities. And as the livelihoods of 800,000 young Dreamers living in our country hangs in the balance, we need to support immigrants now more than ever.

    At Educational Alliance (EA) – the social service provider and network of community centers I lead on the Lower East Side and East Village – we have dedicated much of

    ...
  • In New De Blasio Heath Care Plan, Limited Coverage for Undocumented Immigrants

    bdb mmv idnyc alatriste

    Mayor de Blasio holds his IDNYC (photo: William Alatriste)


    According to a recent report from Mayor Bill de Blasio's office, there are 345,507 undocumented immigrants in New York City who do not have health insurance. The Mayor's Task Force on Immigrant Health Care Access seeks to provide coverage next year to 1,000 of those individuals.

    Inaugural Student Voter Registration Day Kicks Off at 25 City Schools

    CM Rosenthal SVRD

    CM Rosenthal addresses students (photo: Cici Chen)


    NEW YORK - The 2013 New York City mayoral election’s record low 24 percent voter turnout rate is largely reflective of and dragged down by 11 percent youth voter participation. This especially paltry turnout among voters 18- to 29-years-old has spurred advocates and policy-makers to act. Friday saw the city’s first Student Voter Registration Day (...