Ohio Hispanic Affairs Commission urges Congress to act swiftly on DACA

The Ohio Latino Affairs Commission has passed a formal resolution urging Congress to take immediate action on matters regarding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program, DACA.

A statement by Andrea Magaña Lewis, Public Policy Officer, said that , "to date, 4,442 applicants have been granted deferred action in the state of Ohio since the program was established. Nationally, nearly 800,000 individuals have been granted DACA status."

“The educational and professional opportunities made accessible by DACA prepare young immigrants to make extraordinary contributions in Ohio, and the termination of the program will have adverse effects on Ohio’s Latino population as well as the economy,” said Tony Ortiz, Chairman of the Commission.

According to a report published by the Center for American Progress, Ohio stands to lose more than $250 million annually in state GDP if DACA recipients are removed from the workforce.

The majority of DACA applicants were born in Latin American countries, with 75 percent of applicants hailing from Mexico. Asians comprise 4 percent of the DACA population, and individuals from the Caribbean comprise 2 percent of the total.

The Ohio Latino Affairs Commission was established in 1977 by Governor James Rhodes and is statutorily obligated to advise government on issues impacting Latinos in Ohio. The Commission is committed to bringing the concerns of the Latino community to Ohio’s governing bodies to ensure representation on important matters.

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