Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Supervisor Warren Slocum
Subject: Resolution Affirming the County of San Mateo’s Support for the DACA Program and DACA Participants
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution affirming the County of San Mateo’s support for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program; calling on Congress and the President of the United States to adopt a permanent legislative solution for DACA recipients; and affirming the County of San Mateo’s commitment to DACA participants.
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BACKGROUND:
According to the American Community Survey, a third of San Mateo County residents are foreign-born and many of these residents have children who are United States citizens. The Migration Policy Institute analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau’s data indicates that an estimated 57,000 San Mateo County residents are undocumented. Approximately 6,000 undocumented children are enrolled in schools throughout San Mateo County.
In 2012, the United States Department of Homeland Security implemented an executive order by President Barak Obama and instituted the DACA Program. This program provides a temporary, two-year suspension of potential removal actions for certain qualifying young people who arrived in the United States prior to the age of 16; have resided continuously in the United States since June 15, 2007; were under the age of 31 on June 15, 2012; and are enrolled in school, have graduated from high school or obtained a general development certificate or who have been honorably discharged from the United States Armed Forces.
DACA recipients are eligible for work authorization, which allows these young people to support themselves and their families and to contribute to the economic vitality of our communities.
More than 700,000 immigrant young people have been afforded DACA benefits, with over 217,000 of these young people residing in California. There are an estimated 9,000 individuals living in our County who are eligible for the DACA Program.
On September 5, 2017, President Donald Trump announced that he was ending the DACA Program, delaying the rescission of the Program by six months.
DISCUSSION:
I believe that the rescission of the DACA Program is ill-advised, misguided and lacking in compassion. The end of the DACA Program would have the potential to deny our communities many bright and highly motivated young people and this action has added to the fear and uncertainty faced by these young people and their families.
This resolution would reaffirm this Board’s support for the DACA Program and the young people who have benefitted from the Program. Moreover, it denounces the President’s rescission of the DACA Program and calls on Congress and the President to implement a permanent legislative solution for DACA Program recipients and calls on the Governor and the State Attorney General to take appropriate actions to protect DACA Program recipients.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no known fiscal impact for this Resolution