Funders for LGBTQ Issues stands in firm opposition to the Trump Administration’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The program protects young undocumented immigrants from deportation and makes them eligible for work permits. More than 800,000 young people are currently enrolled in the program. According to the Williams Institute, nearly half of the estimated 75,000 eligible LGBT young undocumented immigrants have taken advantage of DACA, allowing them to dramatically improve their lived experience.

“For the many young immigrants who fought hard for the recognition of their most basic rights and dignity–this move is nothing less than heartbreaking,” said Ben Francisco Maulbeck, President of Funders for LGBTQ Issues. “As a country founded and made stronger by immigrants, this xenophobic decision by Attorney General Jeff Sessions and President Donald Trump is an inhumane step in the wrong direction. The policy change threatens to tear apart families and communities, and could result in the deportation of LGBTQ people back to countries where their very existence is criminalized.”

Together with efforts to ban Muslims from entering the country, to phase out Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for people unable to return home to countries torn apart by disaster or conflict, and to build a wall along the Mexican border, the Trump Administration is actively working to make this country less safe and less prosperous.

We encourage Congress to protect these young undocumented immigrants and we call on funders to redouble their efforts to mobilize resources to protect the rights of all immigrants. To that end, we encourage funders to participate in Grantmakers Concerned about Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR)’s webinar “Dreams in Limbo: A Look at the Future of DACA, Young Immigrants, and How Funders Can Respond.”

Image note: Photo by ev on Unsplash