SPRINGFIELD - Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White has issued a statement supporting Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and 15 other state attorneys general in their joint lawsuit against President Trump in his attempt to rescind the Deferred Action to Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. 
White wrote a declaration in support of the lawsuit, emphasizing that the DACA program was instituted in 2012 to protect immigrants who came to the United States as children.
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“As a group, Dreamers are displaying the values that we in the United States consider so important: getting an education, working hard, raising families and contributing to their communities,” White said, and noting that Dreamers receive background checks, attend colleges and universities, have work authorizations and serve in the United States Military.
White noted that there are close to 800,000 immigrant children commonly known as “Dreamers,” in the United States, and about 42,000 in Illinois. Under DACA, road safety in Illinois has improved as Dreamers have taken the appropriate steps to obtain a valid driver’s license, including attending driving school, passing all the tests and obtaining and maintaining automobile insurance.
“This program allows young people to continue to work, to further their education, to move forward with their lives and to continue to contribute to society in the United States,” White said.
“I am strongly opposed to the Trump administration’s ill-conceived plan to rescind DACA, and proud to support this legal challenge,” White said. White’s declaration will be an exhibit as part of the court record.
