The City and County of Denver joined 65 local governments from across the country, the United States Conference of Mayors, National League of Cities, the International City/County Management Association and the International Municipal Lawyers Association in filing an amicus brief in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy in Texas v. United States.
“Our Dreamers are deeply integral to our community. They are frontline workers who keep us healthy and safe, teachers and civil servants shaping the next generation, entrepreneurs who build businesses and revitalize our local economies, and so much more,” Mayor Michael B. Hancock said. “They are our neighbors, and if the District Court’s order isn’t reversed as it rightfully should be, Dreamers will not only feel these harmful effects, but their families, their employers and communities nationwide will suffer the impacts.”
“Cities from every corner of the country share a common interest as more than 58% of current DACA recipients call our metro areas home, and locally in Denver, we have roughly 5,500 DACA-eligible recipients,” said City Attorney Kristin Bronson. “Our cities are prosperous and vibrant because of the enormous contributions of Dreamers to our communities and country because they feel empowered to participate in civic life.”
“Cities from every corner of the country share a common interest as more than 58% of current DACA recipients call our metro areas home, and locally in Denver, we have roughly 5,500 DACA-eligible recipients.”
Kristin Bronson, Denver City Attorney
Since 2012, DACA has transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands of young people and allowed recipients to live without fear in the communities they call home. Many invested in their future by pursuing higher education, which provided skills and increased their earning potential, allowing them to reinvest in their communities through entrepreneurship, buying homes, paying taxes, and contributing to local and economic growth.
In the amicus brief, filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the coalition further highlights the national, state, and local economic growth associated with DACA recipients’ purchasing power. Nationwide, DACA recipients are directly responsible for $760 million in annual mortgage payments and pay $2.5 billion in rent to their landlords each year.
DACA recipient households also pay an estimated $6.2 billion in federal taxes and $3.3 billion in state and local taxes every year, which helps to fund critical programs that benefit all the coalition’s residents.
In July, U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen declared DACA unlawful because the DHS violated the Administrative Procedure Act to create the program and its continued operation. The decision does not immediately affect 616,030 people. DHS can continue accepting new DACA applications and renewal DACA applications but can no longer approve new DACA applications or grant applicants the protections this program provides.
The coalition urges the appellate court to reverse the district court’s order because the abrupt termination of DACA would cause significant disruption. The order does not consider substantial reliance interest at stake, and communities will experience damaging effects nationwide.
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