Middlesex Congressman Asks Trump To Preserve Dreamers' Program

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr., a Democrat who represents New Jersey's sixth Congressional district, is calling on President Trump to preserve the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, also called DACA or the "Dream Act." The clock is ticking for Trump to make a decision by Tuesday, Sept. 5 on DACA. That's Rep. Pallone, above.

DACA was introduced by former President Barack Obama in 2012 and it allows people who were brought into the United States illegally as children to work and study in the country without fear of being deported. Many young people in their 20s in the U.S. are protected under the Dream Act; they are able to enroll in U.S. colleges and universities and join the workforce. There are approximately 800,000 DACA recipients throughout the U.S. and approximately 22,000 in New Jersey at risk for deportation if President Trump repeals DACA.

Many news reports indicate that the Trump administration is strongly considering issuing a new memo to take away DACA by Sept. 5. That's because of a letter ten state attorneys general sent on June 29 to Attorney General Jeff Sessions calling for the Secretary of Homeland Security to phase out the DACA program. The letter gives the administration until Tuesday, September 5 to rescind the program or else the attorneys general would expand ongoing litigation (Texas v. United States) to include DACA in hopes that a federal court would strike it down.

Congressman Pallone said he is rallying with Rutgers students Tuesday in a show of solidarity to protect DACA.

"Ending DACA would be a cruel action that would result in young people being ripped away from their lives and families. Without DACA, they will simply have no home to return to. I will do everything with my power to fight the Trump administration if they make this immoral decision," said Rep. Pallone.

New Jersey's Sixth Congressional District includes the following towns:

Middlesex County: (12 towns)
Carteret, Edison Township, Highland Park, Metuchen, New Brunswick, Old Bridge Township (also part of New Jersey's 12th Congressional District), Perth Amboy, Piscataway Township, Sayreville, South Amboy, South Plainfield and Woodbridge Township

Monmouth County: (20 towns)
Aberdeen Township, Allenhurst, Asbury Park, Atlantic Highlands, Deal, Hazlet Township, Highlands, Interlaken, Keansburg, Keyport, Loch Arbour, Long Branch, Marlboro Township, Matawan, Middletown Township (also part of New Jersey's 4th Congressional District), Monmouth Beach, Oceanport, Sea Bright, Union Beach and West Long Branch