We will be gathering on the capitol steps, on Jefferson street.
We are gathering in support of these vibrant and dynamic DREAMers that have grown into our communities and our hearts. We gather to urge the adminstration to suspend it's efforts of ending DACA. We gather as a symbol of assurance and solidarity with DREAMers--that we see you, we value you, and we stand with you.
As of August 15th, DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) will be 5 years old. Since it's inception in 2012, almost 800,000 individuals, orginally arriving in the U.S. as children, have come forward, been granted permission to live and work in America after passing substantial background checks. With the use of DACA, they have advanced their education, become small business owners, are integrated into our communities, and are vital members of our society.
Ending DACA would translate into these same young people being in harm's way, would risk separation fromt their families, and deportation to a place that is no longer home.
The estimated cost of removing these young people from our work force is $460.3 billion in lost gross domestic product over a decade and tens of billions more lost in contributions to Medicare and Social Security, forcing businesses to incur $3.4 billion in turnover costs.