A Long Island immigration advocate is among a half dozen plaintiffs whose arguments against a federal policy of deporting young immigrants the U.S. Supreme Court is hearing Tuesday.
Eliana Fernández, Patchogue resident, Ecuadorean immigrant, and lead organizer of nonprofit Make The Road New York, is among those suing to reverse President Donald Trump’s rescinding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that shields from deportation children brought to the U.S. by undocumented immigrants. She was among 200 people who marched 230 miles over 16 days to Washington, D.C. ahead of the hearing to raise awareness to the issue.
“The main reason why I’m here marching and I’m part of the movement is because of my kids,” Fernández, a 31-year-old mother of two and DACA recipient who arrived at age 14, told Democracy Now! “My children are everything, they are my biggest inspiration.”
Hanging in the balance in the Supreme Court care are the fate of 660,000 DACA recipients nationwide seeking temporary work permits and other relief from deportation. President Barack Obama implemented the program in 2012 and Trump nixed it two years ago.
The march concluded with rallies being held in the nation’s capital Tuesday as the arguments were being heard.
