In a Powerful Letter, 2,000 Leaders Pledge to Stand With Young Immigrants Known as "Dreamers"

The fate of about 800,000 young immigrants known as "Dreamers" rests in President Donald Trump's hands. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) was an executive action signed by then-President Barack Obama in 2012. It granted children of undocumented immigrants who were brought to the US illegally as minors to pass an extensive background check, receive deferred action, and become eligible for a work permit. However, 10 states have threatened to sue the Trump administration if the government does not end DACA by Sept. 5. With the faux deadline looming close and Trump's own opaque views on the issue, more than 2,000 government leaders, representatives, mayors, and more have pledged to "defend" the Dreamers.

The letter, signed by leaders including Governor Jerry Brown of California and Mayor Bill de Blasio of NYC, is an effort to show Dreamers they are not alone . . . and to encourage Congress and the president to move forward with a plan to continue the program. The letter asks Trump to "sustain his commitment and preserve DACA" and asks Congress to move forward with the Dream Act of 2017, which would give Dreamers permanent protection and provide a path toward citizenship.

According to several reports, Trump might end DACA, despite his previous musings on the Dreamers and his pledge to "show great heart" in regards to their situation. It would be a cruel decision to make, but not surprising in light of his hard-line stance on immigration, his decision to institute the travel ban, and his continued insistence that he will "build the wall." If Trump does choose to end DACA, he would leave about 800,000 people privy to deportation, potentially separating them from their families and sending them to live in countries they may have never even visited since infancy.