The Coconino County Board of Supervisors this week passed a resolution urging Congressional immigration reform. KNAU’s Ryan Heinsius reports, the board’s main focus is preserving the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
The supervisors’ unanimous decision calls on lawmakers to move quickly on a bipartisan package to make DACA permanent. The program shields immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children from deportation.
Board Chairwoman Liz Archuleta says it’s essential to support the immigrants known as Dreamers, and they’ll have a significant economic impact on Arizona and Coconino County in the next decade.
There are about 57,000 immigrants eligible for DACA in Arizona. The Center for American Progress estimates ending the program would cost Arizona more than $1.3 billion dollars annually in lost gross domestic product.
President Trump announced earlier this month he’ll end DACA next year.