• Press Release

EMILYs List Responds to Trump’s Actions on DACA

September 5, 2017

September 5, 2017

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the Trump administration is rescinding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)​ program​, the Obama-era program that gives protections to nearly 800,000 young people who lack immigration status. In response, Emily Cain, executive director of EMILY's List, released the following statement:

“This is yet another outrageous and dangerous move by a president intent on rolling back progress for entire communities and families. By rescinding DACA, Trump will send hundreds of thousands of young people who live, work, study, and fight for the American Dream back into the shadows and under the threat of deportation. Through this act he is forcing them to hide rather than continue to give back to the only country many of them have ever known.”

“EMILY's List will continue our work electing pro-choice Democratic women who will fight back against a president who would rather pardon a convicted criminal like Joe Arpaio than help those who are doing their best to live their lives and contribute to their adopted home — and the Republicans who do nothing to stop him.”

EMILYs List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, has raised over $500 million to support pro-choice Democratic women candidates – making them one of the most successful political organizations ever. Our grassroots community of over five million members helps Democratic women wage competitive campaigns – and win. We recruit and train candidates, support strong campaigns, research the issues that impact women and families, and turn out women voters. Since our founding in 1985, we have helped elect 116 women to the House, 23 to the Senate, 12 governors, and over 800 to state and local office. Forty percent of the candidates EMILYs List has helped elect to Congress have been women of color. Since the 2016 election, thousands of women and counting have reached out to us about running for office. To harness this energy, EMILYs List has launched Run to Win, an unprecedented effort to help more women run at the local, state, and national levels.