Today, Rep. Pete Aguilar met with immigration activists and California residents who would be eligible for the expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and the new Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) program under President Obama’s executive action. Only feet away, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the Texas v. United States case, which seeks to block the president’s action. President Obama issued the executive action in November 2014. The order would shield millions of immigrant families from being torn apart.

“I urge the Supreme Court to do the right thing and keep Latino and other immigrant families together instead of tearing them apart,” said Aguilar. He added, “We’re talking about mothers, fathers, sons and daughters – this is about shielding families from the devastating possibility of being ripped from their homes and families.”

Aguilar attended a panel hosted by the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), which also featured immigration activists from other organizations and California Representatives Xavier Becerra (CA-34), Norma Torres (CA-35), Zoe Lofgren (CA-19) and Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40). Rep. Aguilar is a staunch advocate for Comprehensive Immigration Reform with a pathway to citizenship and has consistently fought for the immigrant community. He has signed four amicus curiae briefs in support of both DACA and DAPA. These briefs highlight federal law passed by Congress that delegate the enforcement of immigration laws to the Administration and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). If the Supreme Court decides that DACA and DAPA are constitutional, it is projected that 27,000 undocumented immigrants in San Bernardino County would benefit from the program. 

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