Illinois Senator Unleashes Fury on Trump’s ‘Stealth Assault’ Against DACA Dreamers

In a bold declaration, Illinois Senator Dick Durbin has slammed the Trump administration for what he calls a "stealth assault" on DACA recipients, the so-called Dreamers. This comes after an administrative appellate court within the Justice Department ruled that simply being a DACA recipient isn’t enough to shield individuals from deportation.

DACA was designed to offer temporary reprieve from deportation, but it’s a flimsy shield—no direct route to citizenship or permanent residency means Dreamers are prime targets for immigration crackdowns. Shocking statistics reveal that between January and November last year, 261 DACA recipients were arrested, with 86 facing deportation.

In an opinion piece for a major publication, Durbin unleashed his frustration over the administration's tactics, highlighting significant delays in processing DACA renewal applications. He pointed out that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has imposed a "processing hold" on requests from recipients hailing from 39 countries, leaving many in limbo without any timeline for resolution.

"These delays may seem like a minor bureaucratic change," Durbin wrote, "but when a person's DACA authorization expires, they lose their ability to work and their protection from deportation." The stakes couldn’t be higher.

Durbin didn’t hold back in criticizing the Justice Department's recent ruling, labeling it a "cruel decision" that could expose DACA recipients to deportation orders. "The Trump administration may be hoping that no one will notice these attempts to gut protections for hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients," he stated. "But American communities, families, and employers depend on the dreamers. Uprooting them will inflict unnecessary social, emotional, and economic costs on all of us."

He shared the poignant story of Tereza Lee, who was brought to the U.S. at just two years old. A musical prodigy, she dazzled audiences as a soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Durbin has been advocating for a pathway to citizenship for individuals like her since 2001. With retirement looming, he introduced his Dream Act one last time in December, vowing to fight for it until his final days in the Senate.

"I intend to use every remaining day in office working to make this legislation the law of the land," he declared. "But for now, the DACA program is the policy of the U.S. government. It must be faithfully adhered to by the Trump administration."

In closing, Durbin expressed unwavering faith that Americans "will not give up on these fine young people," despite the administration's relentless efforts to strip away their protections. "Dreamers like Tereza Lee are not the 'worst of the worst.' They are not a threat to this country. Instead, they prove that the American Dream is alive and well. And they deserve a path to becoming U.S. citizens," he concluded.