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Attorney General Ford Joins Amicus Brief Pushing Back on Texas Lawsuit Attacking DACA

Carson City, NV – Today, Attorney General Aaron D. Ford joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general in an amicus brief in support of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in Texas v. United States. In the brief, filed before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the coalition highlights the critical contributions of hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients to public health efforts, the economy and communities across the country.

“DACA is an integral program for our state’s community, including for the Dreamers who are a vital part of our Nevada family,” said AG Ford. “Our office has always fought for the right of DACA recipients to remain in the communities they call home, and we will continue to protect that right.”

DACA has enabled hundreds of thousands of grantees to enroll in colleges and universities, complete their education, start businesses that help improve our economy and give back to our communities as teachers, medical professionals and entrepreneurs. These contributions became especially evident as the deadly coronavirus pandemic began to sweep through the nation and thousands of DACA recipients served on the frontlines as essential workers. As of November 2021, an estimated 34,000 health care workers and support staff depend on DACA for their authorization to work in the United States.

DACA also plays a vital role in supporting our economies at the national, state and local level. For instance, DACA recipients and their households pay an estimated $9.5 billion in federal, state and local taxes each year. In addition, DACA recipients’ estimated $25.3 billion in spending power is important to the overall economic health of the amici states. Without DACA, national economic growth over the course of a decade is projected to fall by $280 billion.

According to the American Immigration Council, 12,100 active DACA recipients lived in Nevada as of March 2020, and 73% of DACA-eligible immigrants in Nevada had applied for the program. A 2017 study from the Center for American Progress showed that, if all DACA workers were removed, it would cost Nevada an estimated annual GDP loss of $603.9 million.

In the amicus brief, the coalition asserts, among other things:

 

  • DACA grantees are vital to communities, economies and public universities;
  • DACA increases public safety and decreases the strain on safety net programs;
  • Abrupt termination of DACA would cause substantial disruption and harm, including to amici states;
  • Any remedy in this case must account for the significant reliance interests at stake;
  • Amici states have structured programs, policies and laws in reliance on DACA and the benefits it confers; and
  • The appellate court should reverse the district court’s order, which enjoined DACA and erroneously concluded that DACA is unlawful.

 

In filing the amicus brief, Attorney General Ford joins the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. 

A copy of the amicus brief is attached

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