On Sunday, the Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, said that the federal government needs to pass immigration reform even as the possible end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, created via executive action by President Barack Obama five years ago, is weighed by the current President, Donald Trump.
Abbott told Fox News Sunday that the crisis over the deferred action program is ultimately just a symptom of a much bigger problem, which is still unresolved, and that the entire issue would not even be happening if Congress would do its job and pass immigration reform in collaboration with Trump. Abbott added that challenges such as the DACA situation are only going to continue happening until both the President and Congress pass comprehensive immigration reform.
The decision on whether the deferred action program will come to an end is expected to be made by Trump on Tuesday. The deadline comes amid growing speculation and pressure that Trump will close down the program, which has given temporary relief to the threat of deportation to undocumented immigrants who were brought to the US while they were still minors, as well as the right to legally work in the country.
Abbott has pursued several anti-immigration policies as the Governor of Texas, including the controversial SB4 bill, to deny government funding to so-called ‘sanctuary cities’ that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration policies