WASHINGTON D.C. — Fourth Congressional District Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Yakima, is committed to finding a legislative fix for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which President Donald Trump announced earlier this week will be ending in six months.

The DACA program is a 2012 executive order signed by former President Barack Obama which gives temporary protection from deportation and work authorization to young students and veterans in the U.S. if they register with the government, pay a fee and pass a criminal background check. To be eligible for DACA, an immigrant must have been brought into the U.S. before the age of 16 and before June 2007, be enrolled in school, a high school graduate or honorably discharged from the military, be under 31 as of June 15, 2012, and not have a serious criminal history.

On Tuesday the Trump administration announced its plan to phase out DACA in six months, a decision that is in tune with Trump’s promises on the presidential campaign trail, which gives lawmakers on Capitol Hill time to come up with a legislative solution. Newhouse urged Congress to come to come up with an appropriate fix to DACA and protect the young people it covers.

“The debate must now return to the people’s representatives in Congress. President Obama’s unilateral executive action was never the long-term answer, which is why Congress must now act to protect children brought here through no fault of their own. The individuals I have met with are outstanding young people who desire to improve our communities in Central Washington,” Newhouse stated.

In a memo sent earlier this week, the Trump administration states if the president refused to act on DACA, several states were ready to pursue litigation in order to end the controversial program via court order.

On Wednesday Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced 15 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit to block Trump’s decision to end DACA. The lawsuit, which was filed in the Eastern District of New York, alleges Trump’s decision violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution and is motivated by discriminatory malice, due in part to several of the president’s controversial statements on the campaign trail with regard to Mexican immigrants.

Individuals covered by DACA, referred to as “Dreamers,” total about 800,000 nationwide, including almost 18,000 in Washington. Ferguson’s office states one estimate found Dreamers in Washington contribute $51 million annually in state and local taxes. Another estimate cited in the lawsuit predicts that ending DACA over a 10-year period would cost the state’s economy $258 million in lost tax revenue.

Newhouse, who has previously co-sponsored legislation that protects Dreamers, says he will continue to work to find a viable alternative to DACA and give certainty to those who benefit from the program.

“I believe that our borders must be secured, and our laws must be upheld, but we must also understand that these young people grew up in America and know no other life,” Newhouse said. “They need the stability of a permanent legislative solution provided by Congress. I am committed to working on behalf of Dreamers and urge my colleagues to work together to provide a legislative solution.”

On Thursday Governor Jay Inslee and 10 other governors sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Paul Ryan and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, urging the congressional leaders to protect Dreamers from deportation.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.