As the Republican Party continues to embrace anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies on the presidential campaign trail, the Supreme Court is debating two key immigration programs of President Barack Obama. Oral arguments on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) programs were heard yesterday. The Supreme Court will determine if President Obama abused his authority by imposing allegedly onerous rules on states. DACA and DAPA are President Obama’s immigration actions that provide temporary deportation relief to law-abiding immigrant families.
The arguments come a month after Rep. John Mica and House Republicans voted to send an unprecedented amicus brief against these critical immigration programs on behalf of the House.
House Republicans’ recent attempts to dismantle extended DACA and DAPA are not only clear examples of how Trump is defining the GOP, but highlight how their anti-immigrant sentiment could endanger vulnerable Republicans like John Mica this fall. An estimated 60,000 eligible voters in Florida have a family member who would be impacted by DAPA and his efforts to end the program. As the LA Times recently noted, Republicans’ anti-DACA and DAPA efforts have led to a surge in immigrants becoming U.S. citizens, and voters.
“Nearly 60,000 voters in Florida have a family member impacted by DACA and DAPA, and they’re paying attention to the Republican assault on these programs that has led to this Supreme Court case,” said Javier Gamboa of the DCCC. “With his vote to support an amicus brief against DACA and DAPA, John Mica’s Trump-inspired attack makes clear to Latino and immigrant communities in Florida that he is willing to tear families apart.”
(crickets)