Letter to the Hon. Elaine C. Duke, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security - Do Not Use Dreamers' Personal Information for Deportation

Letter

Dear Acting Secretary Duke:

We are writing today with deep concerns about the elimination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. After repeated promises by the Administration that this program would be protected, the young people safeguarded by DACA are once again in jeopardy. Beyond urging this Administration to reconsider ending this critical program, we are particularly worried about how the Department of Homeland Security will address safeguarding personal data provided by the 800,000 DREAMers, many of whom reside in our districts.

The young DREAMers who have come forward and shared not only their personal data, but that of their families with the federal government did so with many assurances from our government. They were promised that, should they come out of the shadows, their residency and personal information would be protected. We have heard from countless young people who are terrified of their information being given to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and used for enforcement purposes. These young constituents have understandably lost faith in our government. We urge the Department of Homeland Security to protect this critical information, and ensure that this personal data will not be used for deportation purposes.

The Department of Homeland Security has a vested interest in fostering trust and cooperation from our immigrant communities. To break the trust of the American people by misusing DACA data would be a risk to law and order in our country. Once again, we ask that you give your assurance to DACA recipients that their information will not be used for enforcement purposes.

We look forward to your timely response to this urgent matter.

Sincerely,