Celebrities slam Trump decision to end DACA as 'callous,' 'disgusting,' and a 'grave mistake'

Ruth Kinane
Updated
Celebrities slam Trump decision to end DACA as 'callous,' 'disgusting,' and a 'grave mistake'

The Trump administration formally announced on Tuesday the end of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). The policy, formed under the Obama administration and implemented in 2012 to protect from deportation the nearly 800,000 young undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children, will be rescinded in six months.

After Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the news, the president said in a written statement: “I do not favor punishing children, most of whom are now adults, for the actions of their parents. But we must also recognize that we are [a] nation of opportunity because we are a nation of laws.”

While many are protesting at Trump Tower and in D.C., Los Angeles, Denver, and New York City, sharing their outrage and heartbreak over the announcement, others are expressing their grievances on social media, including former President Obama:

“To target these young people is wrong – because they have done nothing wrong. It is self-defeating – because they want to start new businesses, staff our labs, serve in our military, and otherwise contribute to the country we love,” Obama said in a poignant Facebook post. “And it is cruel. What if our kid’s science teacher, or our friendly neighbor turns out to be a Dreamer? Where are we supposed to send her? To a country she doesn’t know or remember, with a language she may not even speak?”

See below for more of his thoughts, plus reactions from more public figures and celebrities.