Dec. 16, 2021
Carson
City, NV –
Today, Attorney General Aaron D. Ford joined a coalition of 23 attorneys
general in an amicus brief in support of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
(DACA) in Texas v. United States. In the brief, filed before the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the coalition highlights the
critical contributions of hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients to public
health efforts, the economy and communities across the country.
“DACA
is an integral program for our state’s community, including for the Dreamers
who are a vital part of our Nevada family,” said AG Ford. “Our
office has always fought for the right of DACA recipients to remain in the
communities they call home, and we will continue to protect that right.”
DACA
has enabled hundreds of thousands of grantees to enroll in colleges and
universities, complete their education, start businesses that help improve our
economy and give back to our communities as teachers, medical professionals and
entrepreneurs. These contributions became especially evident as the deadly
coronavirus pandemic began to sweep through the nation and thousands of DACA
recipients served on the frontlines as essential workers. As of November 2021,
an estimated 34,000 health care workers and support staff depend on DACA for
their authorization to work in the United States.
DACA
also plays a vital role in supporting our economies at the national, state and
local level. For instance, DACA recipients and their households pay an
estimated $9.5 billion in federal, state and local taxes each year. In addition, DACA
recipients’ estimated $25.3 billion in spending power is important to
the overall economic health of the amici states. Without DACA, national
economic growth over the course of a decade is projected to fall by
$280 billion.
According
to the American Immigration
Council,
12,100 active DACA recipients lived in Nevada as of March 2020, and 73% of
DACA-eligible immigrants in Nevada had applied for the program. A 2017 study
from the Center for American
Progress
showed that, if all DACA workers were removed, it would cost Nevada an
estimated annual GDP loss of $603.9 million.
In
the amicus brief, the coalition asserts, among other things:
- DACA
grantees are vital to communities, economies and public universities;
- DACA
increases public safety and decreases the strain on safety net programs;
- Abrupt
termination of DACA would cause substantial disruption and harm, including to
amici states;
- Any
remedy in this case must account for the significant reliance interests at
stake;
- Amici
states have structured programs, policies and laws in reliance on DACA and the
benefits it confers; and
- The
appellate court should reverse the district court’s order, which enjoined
DACA and erroneously concluded that DACA is unlawful.
In
filing the amicus brief, Attorney General Ford joins the attorneys general of
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland,
Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina,
Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin
and the District of Columbia.
A
copy of the amicus brief is attached.
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