Opinion: Ending DACA is a betrayal to 800,000 Americans who put their trust in their government

To the editor: The decision whether to end DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program initiated by President Obama, is neither a political nor an immigration issue. It is a moral issue. (“Trump asks Congress to resolve fate of Dreamers, moves to phase out protections,” Sept. 5)

DACA is about children brought to this country before they reached adulthood. DACA is about children raised and educated in this country who are now truly Americans. DACA is about children whose parents or guardians paid for their education and healthcare through their labor and taxes.

As a result of DACA, these children, with faith in the U.S. government, presented themselves, their identities and their security to the care of our government. To rescind DACA is to betray that compact.

Rescinding DACA is an immoral act to which we all bear witness.

Leiv Blad, Van Nuys

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To the editor: It feels generous to wink at illegal immigrants, but Americans have a choice to make: How large should our population grow?

From 200 million people 50 years ago, the United States reached 325 million this year. Growth has brought California water insecurity. Growth has sacrificed prime farmland to development and has diminished critical resources like fisheries and forests.

Should Americans continue their unconsidered experiment to see how high the population can grow until our civilization collapses? Or should immigration be reduced to stabilize the population at a sustainable level, especially now that Americans have small enough families that internal growth has ended?

This choice cannot be delegated to an endless stream of foreigners who want to come here. Future generations of Americans deserve the right choice now.

Kenneth Pasternack, Santa Barbara

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To the editor: It boggles the mind that a man who would pardon a convicted criminal in Joe Arpaio, the former sheriff of Maricopa County, Ariz., cannot find it in his heart to to do the same for young people who have met the requirements for DACA protection.

The pardoned one is an embarrassment to our country, while the young people in the DACA program have proved themselves to be contributors to our society.

Karl F. Schmid, Los Angeles

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To the editor: In this country we have DACA, so-called sanctuary cities and politicians who set aside money to protect and defend illegal immigrants.

If people really want to help the undocumented, the best thing they could do is lobby Congress to change the law. Then there would be no need for sanctuary cities and other efforts to defy federal authorities on immigration.

I really wish we could help everybody who escapes violence and poverty in their respective countries, but the reality is we cannot accommodate all people who want to come to the United States.

Ed Trillo, South Gate

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To the editor: Supporting DACA should be an easy bipartisan vote in Congress.

No one can reasonably argue that young children who were brought to the United States knowingly violated the law, and as a group these are the most vetted and promising youth in our country. It’s in our self- interest to offer clemency to a group with all the qualifications prioritized for immigrants, including English language skills and a willingness to serve our country.

California’s support for “Dreamers” in education is a model for other states. Legislators can also learn from California history. Republicans should remember the immigrants who supported Ronald Reagan after the 1986 amnesty but become Democrats after the passage of Proposition 187 in 1994.

Bipartisan legislation to continue DACA can offer a first step to broader immigration reform, and California’s congressional delegation is well positioned to lead it.

Dee Abrahamse, Long Beach

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To the editor: The president has made it clear that, one way or the other, he intends to trash DACA, throwing 800,000 blameless young people into limbo.

Does the phrase “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it” come to mind? I would ask Trump this if I ever had the chance to talk to him about a program that has the support of about two-thirds of the public.

Perhaps he thinks this helps him shore up his anti-immigrant base.

Joan Walston, Santa Monica

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