Supreme Court Protects Dreamers Program; Heights Celebrates

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OH — The U.S. Supreme Court ruled the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program would be allowed to continue this week, a rebuke of President Donald Trump. The decision was celebrated by Cleveland Heights city leadership.

"On behalf of the city council, we are extremely pleased with yesterday's ruling," said Mayor Jason Stein.

DACA protects from deportation non-U.S. citizens who were brought to this country illegally as children. The Supreme Court voted 5-4 to rescind the president's decision to end DACA.

One of the jurisdictions which signed an amicus brief supporting continued DACA protections was Cleveland Heights. The city celebrated the court's decision on social media.

"We are proud that the City of Cleveland Heights was one of the 105 jurisdictions nationwide and 4 in Ohio that joined the amicus brief supporting the continued protection DACA provides for young people who were raised in the United States of America from deportation," the city said on Facebook.

The amicus brief signed by Cleveland Heights argued that DACA strengthened America and supported the nation's future by empowering the next generation.

"...our best interests are advanced by educating and empowering our next generation of leaders, not by tearing students out of their schools and uprooting industrious individuals from their communities. For the last seven years, DACA has advanced our best interests, and amici have witnessed hundreds of thousands of young people emerge from the margins to lead productive, exemplary lives."

For now, DACA recipients — or Dreamers — retain their protection from deportation and their authorization to work in the United States. More information on the court's decision can be found in Patch's article on the DACA program.

The amicus brief the city signed onto can be read on the Supreme Court's website. The other Ohio cities which signed the brief are Akron, Columbus and Dayton.