Activists in Texas are gearing up for a fight. Donald Trump indicated this week that he would end the DREAMer program, which provides temporary work permits and "deferred action" for undocumented immigrants who arrived here as children. The program, which was started by the Obama administration in 2012, gives legal protection to around 800,000 young people nationwide.
Meanwhile, the controversial SB 4 law is set to go into effect in Texas soon. The law would give police the right to ask the immigration status of just about anyone they choose.
Now,as The Guardian reports, activists are planning to launch protests in Austin on both fronts, hoping to draw attention to the plight of the DREAMers and to return local law-enforcement sovereignty to what have become known as “sanctuary cities.”
Immigrant advocates in Texas are hoping that the recent actions of members of the Republican party will result in more Latino votes in 2018.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story stated that the DREAMers program provides "amnesty" for undocumented immigrants who arrived as children. It does not. It merely provides temporary work permits, the right to obtain a government ID, and "deferred action" regarding immigration status.