Trump administration has Nevada Rep. Titus worried about fate of immigrant children
WASHINGTON — A Nevada lawmaker said Thursday she is comforted by assurances from the Obama administration that personal information by undocumented immigrant minors to the federal government won’t be used against them later in deportation hearings.
But she remains concerned whether an administration under President-elect Donald Trump will adhere to promises made by the previous administration in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA.
Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., said more than 12,000 Nevada immigrants brought into the country by parents or others have been helped by DACA.
Nationally, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said more than 750,000 immigrants have received authorization to work and go to school under the program without worrying about deportation.
Those eligible for the program, who applied as minors, have submitted personal information to the government. Lawmakers and immigration advocacy groups have voiced concern that that information could used against them in actions by the incoming administration.
“We believe these representations made by the U.S. government, upon which DACA applicants most assuredly relied, must continue to be honored,” Johnson said in a Dec. 30 letter to Titus and 109 other members of Congress who sought assurances.
Trump campaigned on strengthening immigration restrictions and said he would step up deportation of immigrants convicted of crimes. But the president-elect has not signaled he would deport those who came to the country and applied as minors to work and go to school.
He told Time magazine last month that some of those minors “were good students. Some have wonderful jobs. And they’re in never-never land because they don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Trump takes office on Jan. 20.
Contact gmartin@reviewjournal.com. Follow me on Twitter @garymartindc.
