WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES SEPTEMBER 24, 2020 13
Let’s stop attacking immigrants
BY SENATOR TOBY ANN STAVISKY
Before the pandemic, the roughly
1 million foreign students who
were studying in this country
and the higher education institutions
whose financial solvency depends
on them, received a reprieve from
requiring students to be enrolled in
in-person classes.
But President Trump has made it
clear time and again that he is moving
full steam ahead with his antiimmigrant
policies, which include
bypassing Congress to employ his
executive powers.
Aft er the U.S. Supreme Court’s rejection
of his attempt to rescind the
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
program (DACA), the President
has sent mixed signals about his intentions
regarding the protections from
deportation for young immigrants
who came to the U.S. as children with
their families.
Even as a federal court directed his
administration to restart DACA, the
President recently issued a Department
of Homeland Security (DHS)
memo that bars new DACA applications
and limits the DACA renewal
period to just one year, paving the
way for a complete wind down of the
program. And, by shortening the
DACA renewal timeline, it eff ectively
doubles the cost of applying for DACA
status.
Recently, the President also signed
another executive order that would
exclude undocumented immigrants
from being considered in the 2020
Census – a move that would have
starved states with high immigrant
populations, especially New York,
from federal funds. This decision
negatively impacts our state’s future
representation in Congress and fails
to recognize the integral contributions
of undocumented immigrants
in our communities. Fortunately, a
court rejected his argument.
Throughout the coronavirus
pandemic, immigrants have been on
the frontlines, caring for patients as
doctors, nurses, and other healthcare
workers, and performing other
critical roles such as farmers, waste
management workers, supply chain
employees and more. They represent
an indispensable part of our nation’s
response eff orts and without them,
our hope of rebuilding and recovering
would be compromised.
Despite the continued attacks on
the DACA, the program recipients
are vital to our nation’s economy.
Ending the DACA program would
cost New York $2.6 billion in annual
GDP losses.
OP-ED
Over 29,000 DACA recipients live
and work legally in our state as well,
contributing $315 million in federal
taxes and $210.6 million in state and
local taxes.
International students also play a
large role in supporting local communities
and businesses. In the 2018-19
academic year, they contributed more
than $41 billion to the U.S. economy
and supported over 458,000 jobs, according
to data from NAFSA: Association
of International Educators.
In New York alone, more than
124,000 international students contributed
$5.3 billion and supported
nearly 60,000 jobs in that same academic
year.
We are long overdue for comprehensive
reform of our nation’s broken
immigration system, starting with
permanent protections for the Dreamers
who are – at least for the moment
– protected by DACA and continuing
to protect critical legal immigration
visa avenues, including for students.
Congress must act now to address this
long-standing issue.
Without a promise for protecting
progress towards a more innovative
and diverse future, we can expect
continued attacks on thousands of
individuals guilty of nothing more
than coming to the U.S. as children
with parents, wanting to pursue the
American Dream and create a better
life for themselves, their families, and
their communities.
Toby Ann Stavisky is the chairwoman
of the New York State Senate Higher
Education Committee
SNAPS
ROCKAWAY BEACH SUMMER DAY 2020
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