PROVIDENCE – R.I. Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin joined attorneys general from 15 other states in filing a lawsuit to challenge President Donald Trump’s rescinding of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, the R.I. Office of the Attorney General announced Wednesday.
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
Rhode Island's Market Has Changed. Developers, Builders, Investors and Sellers Must Change With It.
By Emilio DiSpirito IV License Partner | Engel & Völkers Oceanside Leader | The DiSpirito…
Learn More
“The president talks about having compassion for DACA grantees, but his actions prove otherwise. Compassion would have been to keep the DACA program in place, as is. By tossing the decision to a gridlocked and dysfunctional Congress, Trump knowingly puts at risk the legal protections of 800,000 individuals who have followed the rules and who are contributing members of our community,” said Kilmartin.
In the lawsuit, Kilmartin cites a report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy that estimates that Rhode Island would lose $2.6 million in state and local taxes if DACA protections are lost, as well as a study by the Center for American Progress that estimated an annual GDP loss to the state of $61 million from the removal of DACA grantees from the workforce.
On Tuesday, Gov. Gina M. Raimondo also spoke out against the winding down of the DACA program saying, “President Trump’s plan to end DACA is nothing short of cruel, and could mean a $61.1 million hit to Rhode Island’s economy. As long as I am the governor of this state, Rhode Island will stand up for the American dream, and the Dreamers who keep it alive.”
