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When it comes to immigration, Congressman Jim Costa, D-Fresno, has a lot on his mind, as he details in the video above.
President Donald Trump’s comments decrying immigration from places he described as “shit-hole” countries have appeared to further polarize debate over that already-contentious issue.
The controversy has also added to tensions over resolving the status of so-called “Dreamers” by March 1, Trump’s deadline for terminating the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Under DACA, children brought to the United States as children, by their immigrant parents, are protected from deportation by adhering to the program’s rules.
Other Trump Administration’s actions on immigration have generated controversy as well, including:
- The recent decision to deport up to 250,000 immigrants from El Salvador who were given protected status in 2001 following a massive earthquake in their home country. There are many Salvadoran immigrants in the Fresno County west-side community of Mendota;
- A notable increase in raids and arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in California and across the country;
- Establishment of policies that have significantly broadened the categories of non-citizens who are targeted for deportation.