KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- The superintendent of the Kansas City, Kansas, public school district took a stance Wednesday firmly against the Trump administration's move to roll back protections for nearly a million young immigrants who came to the United States as children, which includes thousands in the greater Kansas City area.
"It does not matter to us in KCKPS if you were born here or brought here. You matter to us. We will do everything in our power to ensure you are safe, and that you receive a quality education. We will advocate for you and with you," wrote Dr. Cynthia Lane, superintendent of KCKPS.
In the blog post, Lane called the decision disgusting and a "nightmare" scenario for DREAMers in limbo, waiting for whether or not Congress will act in the six months before the program officially expires.
"Has my country changed so much that we are no longer standing behind our nation’s creed of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all men (and women)?" - Dr. Cynthia Lane, KCKPS Superintendent
Read her full blog post here.
If Congress does not act and President Donald Trump does not step in, all people in the U.S. under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program would be eligible for deportation by next spring.
DACA was created in 2012 by former President Barack Obama with an executive order after Congress repeatedly failed to pass immigration legislation.
Lane called on Congress to do "what is right for these youth, and for our country" and said their ultimate decision would become a defining moment for the administration and the nation as a whole.
A group of protesters sharing Lane's views on the program staged a rally at the J.C. Nicholas Fountain just hours after the administration's announcement Tuesday. Chanting and holding signs, they declared their intention to fight for the program.
LOCAL KIDS FEAR DEPORTATION
Yahir Vanvollenhoven, 18, said he has more important things to worry about than the Trump administration overturning the DACA program.
“I’m working and trying to stay focused on school,” Vanvollenhoven said.
His parents brought him to the U.S. when he was one year old and raised him on the "American Dream."
At least 4,000 other young adults in the Kansas City metro alone are also DACA recipients.
“I would just think they deport the criminals, but I don’t know if they deport people like me. I don’t think I’m doing anything bad,” Vanvollenhoven said. “I’m a hard working kid that, during the summer, I worked 72-plus hours. I’m trying to get my education and be someone that can be a successful person like everyone else wants to be.”
Read more of Yahir's story here.
WHERE DACA STANDS
President Donald Trump said he plans to "revisit" his administration's decision on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program if Congress is unable to pass legislation on the issue in a designated six-month window, he announced in a tweet Tuesday night.
"Congress now has 6 months to legalize DACA (something the Obama Administration was unable to do). If they can't, I will revisit this issue!" Trump wrote.
On Tuesday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the Trump administration would end DACA.
"I am here today to announce that the program known as DACA that was effectuated under the Obama administration is being rescinded," Sessions said at the Justice Department.
However, the administration said it would continue to renew permits for individuals over the next six months, giving Congress enough time to pass legislation that could extend protections for DACA recipients past the deadline.
BUSINESS BACKLASH
The president of tech giant Microsoft was among many in the business community vowing to protect their employees and defend their status in the United States following Tuesday's announcement.
In an interview with NPR, Microsoft president Brad Smith said if the government comes after its DREAMer employees, "it's going to have to go through us to get that person."
In another apparent showing of contempt, the head of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce resigned from President Donald Trump's National Diversity Council Tuesday in response to the administration's decision.
"I tried to work as hard as I could with this administration on this issue, and I continue to want to work with them on other issues, like tax reform, like health care reform, and so many other important things," Javier Palomarez told HLN's Carol Costello. "But I really don't see the logic in doing what we're doing right now."
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