ALA responds to end of Deferred Action to Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program

CHICAGO -  Today American Library Association President Jim Neal released the following message regarding the Trump administration’s announcement that it will end the Deferred Action to Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program which protected nearly 800,000 undocumented youth from deportation as they pursued the American dream.

"Our nation’s libraries serve all community members, including immigrants, offering services and educational resources that transform communities, open minds and promote inclusion and diversity,“ said Neal.

"We are disappointed that the protections of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program are in jeopardy. Through no fault of their own, these undocumented youth were brought to this country as children, and deserve the opportunity to contribute to our society without the fear of being deported. We ask Congress to work together to find a solution to this issue."

Best practices and resources to better serve immigrant populations are currently available through the ALA’s Libraries Respond website.  

The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 57,000 members in academic, public, school, government, and special libraries. The mission of the American Library Association is to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.