Eliminating DACA Will Inflict Serious Harm on U.S. Companies, Workers & Economy

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The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on November 12, 2019 and could decide on the fate of the DACA program between January and June of 2020, determining if Dreamers will lose the ability to live, study, and work in the United States. Since its inception, DACA has had an enormous impact on the lives of over 800,000 young people who came to this country as children and know only this country as home.

Eliminating DACA will inflict serious harm on U.S. companies, all workers, and the American economy. Companies will lose valued employees. Workers will lose employers and coworkers. According to a report by the Center for American Progress, our national GDP will lose between $350 and $460.3 billion.

For years, the Administration has been crystal clear that it will take every action possible to terminate DACA. Over the last two years, an extended legal battle has kept DACA renewals open but now the future of DACA — and the future of DACA recipients — will be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. Everyone from university presidents and teachers to medical professionals and legal experts to hundreds of CEOs and national security officials have signed on to briefs urging the Supreme Court to uphold the lower court rulings that have left DACA in place.

An overwhelming majority of Americans support Dreamers. The Supreme Court has a chance to hear from everyone backing DACA through the briefs. Help use the power of your platform to urge the Supreme Court to stop the Trump Administration from illegally terminating this vital program.

The brief, which includes Vail Valley Partnership as well as a number of U.S. companies that employ workers protected under the DACA program, illustrates the immense support from the U.S. business community for Congress to provide permanent protections for DACA recipients, for the benefit of employers and the economy more broadly.

The brief notes that, “Since its inception, DACA has had an enormous impact on the lives of over 800,000 young people who came to this country as children and know only this country as home. They are creating businesses that employ other Americans. And their increased wages lead to higher tax revenues and expansion of our national GDP— producing new jobs and benefits for all Americans.”

The brief highlights that the rescission of the DACA program would harm U.S. companies and the entire country, noting Dreamers as valued employees, businesses owners and consumers who help grow the economy by filling jobs that otherwise would remain vacant due to an insufficient supply of workers, and that it would inflict enormous harm on individuals, companies and the economy. It also notes that the rescission of DACA itself is invalid.

Lastly, it emphasizes the negative economic impact the removal of DACA recipients could have, stating, “Eliminating DACA will inflict serious harm on U.S. companies, all workers, and the American economy as a whole. Companies will lose valued employees. Workers will lose employers and coworkers. Our national GDP will lose between $350 and $460.3 billion, and tax revenues will be reduced by approximately $90 billion, over the next decade.”

Vail Valley Partnership is proud to join over 140 companies and trade associations in an amicus brief to the Supreme Court to protect 800,000 Dreamers — young people who were brought to this country as children. For any additional information and to view the full amicus brief filing, including the complete list of signatories, please visit: coalitionfortheamericandream.us

Chris Romer is president & CEO of Vail Valley Partnership, the regional chamber of commerce. Learn more at VailValleyPartnership.com