Washington – The U.S. House of Representatives today approved an amendment by Rep. Steve King (R-IA) that, if passed by the U.S. Senate, would deny the U.S. Department of Homeland Security funding to administer the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative. Announced nearly one year ago, DACA exercises prosecutorial discretion, permitting qualifying young people who entered the United States as undocumented immigrants during their childhood to remain lawfully in the U.S. for two years and obtain work authorization during that period. In response, First Focus Campaign for Children President Bruce Lesley issued the following statement:

“DACA gives kids who want to contribute to our society and our economy a chance to step out of the shadows and build successful adult lives. There is only one group of people harmed by this vote, and that’s children. Every parent and every American who values kids should be appalled.”

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The First Focus Campaign for Children is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization affiliated with First Focus, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization. The Campaign for Children advocates directly for legislative change in Congress to ensure children and families are the priority in federal policy and budget decisions. For more information, visit www.ffcampaignforchildren.org.