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October 10, 2019

WBUR: Pressley Spotlights Local Impact Of Trump Immigration Policies

Rep. Ayanna Pressley on Wednesday gathered local participants of federal deferred immigration action programs the Trump administration has sought to scuttle to highlight the impact of those programs on the Bay State.

As the U.S. Supreme Court readies to hear arguments on President Trump’s attempt to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program — which allowed immigrants who came to the United States as children to legally work, attend school, or enter the military — Pressley spoke with 18 DACA recipients.

“The oldest play in the playbook is to separate families,” Pressley said in Boston, according to WBUR’s Shannon Dooling.

The Trump administration announced an end to the Obama-era program in 2017. He has since said he would work with lawmakers on a legislative fix only if the court rules that he was within his authority to end it.

Pressley noted it’s been more than 120 days since she helped the House pass the Dream And Promise Act, which would provide a path to citizenship for DACA recipients and others. There has been no action on the measure in the Senate.

Sen. Ed Markey joined Pressley at the roundtable on Medical Deferred Action, a program that temporarily halts deportation actions against immigrants with serious health conditions. Last month the Trump administration reversed a decision to end the program after a congressional hearing called by Pressley, but she said federal immigration officials have yet to reinstate the program.