Fifteen states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit here Wednesday challenging President Trump's plan to end a program protecting young immigrants from deportation.

The suit was first announced by Washington state Atty. Gen. Bob Ferguson, who called Trump's act “a dark time for our country.”

Plaintiffs include New York, Massachusetts, Washington, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia

On Tuesday, U.S. Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions said the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, will end in six months, giving Congress time to find a legislative solution for the immigrants.

The participants were brought to the U.S. illegally as children or came with families who overstayed visas.</s>Protesters take to the streets in several major US cities following the Trump administration’s announcement that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca) program would be terminated. In New York, dozens of protesters were arrested outside Trump Tower</s>(NBC News) The Trump administration has announced it’s rescinding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or “DACA”, set up to allow immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children to stay in the country.

The White House will give Congress six months to come up with an alternative to the plan, put in place by former President Barack Obama.

DACA blocked deportation for so-called “dreamers,” young immigrants brought here illegally by their parents, while they work or attend school.

“This is all I’ve known,” says DACA recipient Vania Galicia. “I want to continue to fight for this because it is my home.”

Nine states had threatened to sue the administration unless it ended the program by Tuesday.</s>The Trump administration formally announced on Tuesday that it will put an end to an Obama-era program that provided immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children, a group commonly known as Dreamers, with deferred action from deportation.

While some evangelical leaders and many political activists on the Left called on President Donald Trump to protect Dreamers from being deported, the administration has also been pressured by those who believe the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, established by an executive order signed by Barack Obama, is unconstitutional.

Amid this week's media firestorm surrounding the administration's announcement on DACA, here are five things Americans need to know about the program.</s>Immigrants and their supporters marched outside the White House, protested outside Trump Tower in New York City, and prepared to rally in cities across the country on Tuesday after the Trump administration announced it would end a program that has protected nearly 800,000 young people from deportation.

Chanting slogans ("Up with education, down with deportation") and brandishing signs ("Defend Dreamers"), scores of activists on Tuesday afternoon marched from the White House to the Justice Department, where Attorney General Jeff Sessions hours earlier had blasted the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

Among the demonstrators in Washington, D.C., and vulnerable immigrants nationwide, the grim news about DACA — the program will likely die unless Congress comes up with a legislative fix in the next six months — provoked anger and anxiety.

"I'm scared because I don't know what will happen to me and my future," said Andrea A., 25, a Virginia nursing school student and DACA recipient who said she was too fearful of repercussions to have her last name published. "I don't know what's going to happen to me."

Related: College Grad on Edge After DACA Ends: 'This Is My Home'

In New York City, the president's hometown, protesters holding signs with handwritten messages ("Save DACA") blocked traffic near Trump Tower, with some linking arms and chanting, "Whose streets? Our streets!" Police arrested 34 people, most for disorderly conduct, authorities said.

"We are a part of this country's fabric," DACA recipient Basi Alonso told NBC New York. "I have been here my entire life.

"I've been paying my taxes. I went to school here. My parents work here," said Alonso, who was reportedly arrested at the rally.

And students at several schools in Denver walked out of their classrooms in protest, and reports of similar walkouts in Arizona and New Mexico circulated on social media.

"I was surprised by the decision," said Evelyn Mijares, 15, a junior at West Leadership Academy in Denver who left class. "It's like, why have so much hate against Hispanic people?

Related: What Is DACA? Here’s What You Need to Know About the Program Trump Is Ending

"We're just trying to have an education ... It's sad," said Mijares, who is not a DACA recipient but whose father was recently deported.

Protests, rallies and other pro-DACA events are expected around the country on Tuesday evening — including in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Racine, Wisconsin; and across southern California, home to a massive immigrant population.</s>WASHINGTON D.C. - The Latest on President Donald Trump's decision to phase out a program that shields from deportation young immigrants brought to the country illegally (all times local):

 

___

 

11:45 a.m.

 

House Speaker Paul Ryan says Barack Obama's existing policy for immigrants brought to the country as children was a "clear abuse of executive authority" and now it's incumbent upon Congress to act.

 

In a statement Tuesday, the Wisconsin Republican says the heart of the issue is "young people who came to this country through no fault of their own."

 

Ryan says it is his hope that the House and Senate - with the president's leadership - will find consensus on a permanent legislative solution to the issue. He says it is important to ensure that those who have done nothing wrong can still contribute "as a valued party of this great country."

 

Ryan's statement came after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced he was rescinding the program known as DACA.

 

___

 

11:45 a.m.

 

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi is calling President Donald Trump's decision to end the program protecting hundreds of thousands of young immigrants who were brought into the country illegally as children "a deeply shameful act of political cowardice."

 

Pelosi also said in a statement that the widely expected announcement on Tuesday was a "despicable assault on innocent young people in communities across America."

 

The California lawmaker said the decision requires immediate action from the Republican-led Congress, and Speaker Paul Ryan and the GOP leadership must hold a vote immediately to address the issue.

 

___

 

11:15 a.m.

 

The Trump administration has announced that it will wind down a program protecting young immigrants from deportation.

 

Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday called the program known as DACA as an "unconstitutional exercise of authority by the executive branch."

 

He says the Trump administration is urging Congress to find an alternate way to protect young immigrants brought into the country illegally as children.

 

Sessions says the U.S. needs to have a lawful immigration that "serves the national interest" and the U.S. cannot admit everyone who wants to come to the country.

 

___

 

10:26 a.m.

 

President Donald Trump will phase out a program that has protected hundreds of thousands of young immigrants brought into the country illegally as children. He will call for Congress to find a legislative solution to protect the immigrants, who are often called "Dreamers."

 

That's according to two people who were briefed on the plan set to be announced later Tuesday. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the plans publicly before the announcement.

 

Trump suggested in an earlier tweet Tuesday that it would be up to Congress to ultimately decide the fate of those covered by President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA program.

 

DACA has provided nearly 800,000 young immigrants a reprieve from deportation and the ability to work legally in the U.S.

 

- By Jill Colvin.

 

__

 

8:25 a.m.

 

President Donald Trump says Congress should "get ready" to take on immigration legislation.

 

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is expected to announce Tuesday it will end in six months a program that shields from deportation young immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children.

 

The decision to delay the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA program, would give Congress time to act. But Congress has struggled to act on immigration because of divisions within the Republican party.

 

Trump tweeted early Tuesday: "Congress, get ready to do your job - DACA!"

 

__

 

3:38 a.m.

 

Potential battles may lie ahead for President Donald Trump and the Republican Party in the wake of his decision on whether to keep the program that protects hundreds of thousands of young immigrants from deportation.

 

Some Republicans want to maintain the program while others want it ended. Waiting for the president's decision are those who came to the U.S. illegally as children and in some cases have no memories of their native countries.

 

Trump is expected to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, but with a six-month delay. Congress could use that extra time to pass legislation that would address the status of the so-called Dreamers.

 

The Justice Department says Attorney General Jeff Sessions will address the DACA program at a Tuesday morning briefing.</s>The White House holds a press briefing following the announcement that President Trump's administration is ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.</s>Colorado elected weighed in on the decision to end DACA.

Mayor Michael B. Hancock today released a statement following the decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals:

 “There are 800,000 youth living in the United States that know no other country but this one. They didn’t choose to be here, but they are here – contributing to this country and making good on the opportunity to pursue the American dream. Ripping them from the only home and life they’ve ever known is a cruel action unbefitting of this great nation. If the President chooses to forfeit his moral leadership with this heartless attempt to score political points, then it’s up to the House of Representatives and Senate to show all Americans that we can still govern with compassion. It’s time for a bipartisan action to protect our DACA youth, and I urge all members of Colorado’s congressional delegation to support that legislation.”

Gov. John Hickenlooper offered this statement regarding President Trump’s decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

“Colorado has always been a place where people can determine their destiny. The DACA program provides thousands of young people the opportunity to do just that. President Trump’s decision to end the DACA program unnecessarily jeopardizes the futures of more than 17,000 Coloradans. We strongly encourage Colorado’s congressional delegation to support the passage of the Dream Act, ensuring that Dreamers can continue making contributions to the only country they’ve ever called home. We will not turn our back on these young people and neither should our country.”

Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO), Chief Deputy Whip, said President Donald J. Trump’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program should not spell the end of DACA protections, especially if Congress gets immediately to work on legislation that would offer a possible path to citizenship for the people affected.

“The announcement that President Trump is ending DACA is a crushing blow to the 800,000 DREAMers nationwide, including more than 17,000 in Colorado,” DeGette said. “When President Obama established the program in 2012, he made a promise to DREAMers that America would help provide a pathway to citizenship that allows them to remain vital members of our communities. Although #DACA may not be the means used to achieve this objective, its spirit remains stronger than ever.

“I am urging House Speaker Paul Ryan to put legislation on the House floor that gives these young men and women the chance to achieve their American dream, such as the bipartisan Dream Act. Let’s work together to do the right thing and keep our promise. DACA is far from done.”</s>Join AFP's 112,000+ followers on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube

 Subscribe to sports and news podcasts on iTunes

 News, press releases, letters to the editor: augustafreepress2@gmail.com

 Advertising inquiries: freepress@ntelos.net Phone: 540-949-6574

U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) comments on President Trump’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

“The DACA program was a promise to protect certain children of undocumented immigrants, who came to this country through no fault of their own, so they could safely come out of the shadows, attain legal status and realize their full potential. Over the years, the DREAMers have shown us their true character—working hard to become this nation’s next generation of students, entrepreneurs, and military men and women. And while Congress has a responsibility to enact comprehensive immigration reform that provides them with a fair path to citizenship, which the Senate passed in 2013, we cannot let the Trump Administration’s disgraceful anti-immigrant policies leave nearly 800,000 DREAMers in limbo. Going back on our word threatens their safety, harms our economy and speaks volumes about who we are as a country.”</s>President Donald Trump is expected to move forward with his promise to end DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, that allows people to stay in the U.S while they work or attend school. If DACA comes to an end, congress will have six months to come up with a plan. NBC10's Katy Zachry has more details about the announcement.
Fifteen states and the District of Columbia file suit challenging President Donald Trump’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, arguing, in part, that federal government has reneged on the promise to protect young immigrants who came forward and registered with the government.