Protesters Demand Congressman King Support DREAM Act

MASSAPEQUA PARK, NY - Several protesters stood in front of Congressman Peter King's office in Massapequa Park to demand he support the DREAM Act last Thursday.

President Donald Trump recently announced the elimination of the DACA program, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which would cut off all new applications and provide a six-month window for renewal applications from recipients whose permits were set to expire between Sept. 5, 2017 and March 5, 2018.

As a result, the 800,000 youth and young adults protected by this program will begin losing their legal status, becoming subject to deportation, losing their ability to work legally and remain with their families.

Immigrant advocates, including the protesters in Massapequa Park, have been urging the Trump administration and local politicians to extend the Oct. 5 deadline.

According to Make the Road New York, King's district, which covers portions of Nassau and Suffolk Counties and includes the Townships of Hempstead, Oyster Bay, Babylon and Islip, has about 1,900 DACA applicants, the most in all of Long Island.

“They will lose these work permits and protection from deportation, and essentially at any point, immigration agents can pick them up and put them in deportation or interaction with any law enforcement could put them in jeopardy,” protest organizer Walter Barrientos told FiOS1.

Photos courtesy of Walter Barrientos