By Zaira Garcia
Home to 4.9 million immigrants who are driving innovation, creating jobs, fighting on the frontlines of the pandemic, and boosting economic growth, Texas is at the forefront of our national immigration conversation. After four years of policies that encouraged family separation, child detention and the dismantling of immigration avenues such as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) programs, it’s time for a renewed focus on immigration reform that prioritizes morality and civility while expanding opportunities to strengthen our economy.
As we look ahead to a new presidential administration, a small yet significant court victory returned the DACA program to its original 2012 state, prior to program termination attempts that would deport hundreds of thousands of young immigrants. This ruling restored the ability for eligible young immigrants to apply for protections and work authorization under the DACA program. DACA status renewals were also extended from a one-year restriction to the original two-year renewal time frame.