Cummins: Rescinding DACA ‘discriminatory, harmful, sets our country back’

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Staff Reports
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President Donald Trump on Tuesday began dismantling the government program protecting hundreds of thousands of young immigrants who were brought into the country illegally as children.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions declared the Obama administration’s program “an unconstitutional exercise of authority” that must be revoked.

New applications will be halted for President Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program, which has provided nearly 800,000 young immigrants a reprieve from deportation and the ability to work legally in the U.S. in the form of two-year, renewable work permits.

“I’m here today to announce that the program known as DACA that was effectuated under the Obama administration is being rescinded,” Sessions announced.

Cummins Inc., the Columbus-based global diesel engine maker and power company, issued a statement after the DACA announcement.

Here’s the statement by Chairman and CEO Tom Linebarger:

“The decision by the Trump Administration to rescind DACA is discriminatory, harmful and sets our country back. These young people deserve every opportunity to continue living, working, and thriving in the United States – for nearly all of them the U.S. is the only country they have ever known. This is their home.

Dreamers are our colleagues, our friends and our neighbors. They strengthen our country through daily contributions to our companies, our universities and our communities. We have a moral obligation to help these young people, protect them from living in fear, and to prevent families from being torn apart.

Cummins stands in full support of Dreamers and we ask Congress to take immediate action to pass the Dream Act or find a permanent legislative solution to support these young people before anyone is affected by this decision.

We hope that Americans speak out and make it clear to Congress and the President that we stand with the Dreamers.”

Cummins currently employs approximately 55,400 people worldwide and serves customers in approximately 190 countries and territories through a network of approximately 600 company-owned and independent distributor locations and approximately 7,400 dealer locations. Cummins earned $1.39 billion on sales of $17.5 billion in 2016.

Groups planning rally in Columbus
Some Columbus area churches and organizations are planning a Rally in Support of Dreamers at 6:30 p.m. today at Columbus City Hall, 123 Washington St.

The rally is being organized to support immigrant children threatened with deportation, said The Rev. Felipe Martinez, First Presbyterian Church.

In an announcement about the rally, organizers said President Donald Trump is planning to rescind the executive order known as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). DACA protects from deportation young undocumented immigrants (known as Dreamers) who were brought to the United States as children by their parents, the announcement states.

Those who attend the rally will be asked to write to their senators and congressman asking them to pass legislation which would place DACA protections into law.

Participants are asked to show their support by bringing American flags and signs expressing love and solidarity.

Collaborating partners include First Presbyterian Church, Bartholomew County Indivisible, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbus, SuCasa and Islamic Society of Columbus.

From Vice President Mike Pence,  a Columbus native:

Indiana University has also issued a statement.

 

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