Thousands Protested The Trump Administration's DACA Decision In The Loop

By aaroncynic in News on Sep 6, 2017 5:00AM

Thousands rallied in the Loop Tuesday evening in the wake of the Trump administration’s decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Tuesday afternoon that the administration would no longer consider new applications, but would allow recipients with permits set to expire before March of 2018 the opportunity to apply for a 2-year renewal before Oc. 5. The DACA program, initiated by former President Barack Obama five years ago, protects some 800,000 undocumented people who were brought to the United States as children from deportation and allows them the right to work.

“Illinois has been my home since I was 8 years old,” said Angelica Magana, who is now 32. “Most of my life I have lived in the shadows, afraid but maintaining. When Obama signed the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, I was given an iota of relief. Today I stand before you back where I started.”

After rallying at Federal Plaza, demonstrators marched to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement's field office on Congress and Clark, with chants of “protection for all,” “no deportations, no border walls, no fascist USA,” and “who’s Chicago? Our Chicago.”

"My family and my community is being torn apart" #DACA #protectionforall Chicago pic.twitter.com/DxlaHrM7O4

— Aaron Cynic (@aaroncynic) September 5, 2017

"They said they were going to be deporting people w/infractions, they're deporting grandmas" #protectionforall #DACA pic.twitter.com/6Tt266f1m0

— Aaron Cynic (@aaroncynic) September 5, 2017

Massive crowd from Fed Plaza heads to ICE facility, now marching in the loop #protectionforall #DACA pic.twitter.com/San6gz0Zh7

— Aaron Cynic (@aaroncynic) September 5, 2017

The president said the administration would “resolve the DACA issue with heart and compassion,” while Sessions said there was “nothing compassionate about the failure to enforce immigration law,” saying the program “yielded terrible humanitarian consequences.” But for the hundreds of thousands of recipients, many of whom have decades long roots in their communities along with families, the consequences could be dire.

“The loss of DACA is not just the loss of a policy, it’s the loss of our livelihoods, and threat to our mental health. I’m extremely worried about what will happen next,” said Giselle, who said she teaches kindergarten. “I’d like politicians to remember that an attack on DACA is also an attack on the larger communities we are a part of, and those include children and families.”