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Anonymous donor will pay DACA reauthorization fees in Washington State

Trump recently announced the administration would be ending the program with a six-month delay for Congress to act.

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DACA supporters rally on Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House in Washington, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017. CREDIT: AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais
DACA supporters rally on Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House in Washington, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017. CREDIT: AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

An anonymous donor is paying the renewal fees for some recipients of the Deferred Action Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in Washington State, Gov. Jay Inslee (D) announced Monday.

“I’m pleased to announce a private donor has stepped up to help #DACA recipients pay the application fee for renewal,” Inslee tweeted Monday. “The anonymous private donation of $125,000 will help about 250 #DACA recipients in our state pay the application fee for 2-year extensions.”

The DACA program makes it possible for undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children to attend college and get jobs in the United States. The temporary work authorizations and deportation relief are granted in two-year increments.

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Nearly 800,000 young people benefit from the program, about 18,000 of which live in Washington, according to the governor’s office.

CREDIT: AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

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The DACA program is the result of an executive action signed by former President Barack Obama, but the Trump administration recently announced that they would rescind the program with a six-month delay. In that time, the White House has said it hopes Congress will act to make the program law.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Trump made a deal with Congressional Democratic leadership to protect young immigrants, but by the next day, he was saying he wouldn’t sign a bill reauthorizing DACA into law unless it included “border security.”

In this Sept. 1, 2017 file photo, Loyola Marymount University student and dreamer Maria Carolina Gomez joins a rally in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA program, outside the Edward Roybal Federal Building in Los Angeles. CREDIT: AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File

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The end of DACA and an ongoing back and forth have left young undocumented immigrants feeling anxious and afraid — but some are fighting back.

At least for now, roughly 150,000 DACA recipients need to apply for reauthorization before October 5.

“The cruel actions of the Trump Administration threatens [DACA recipients’] ability to go to school or work,” Inslee said on Twitter Monday when he announced the donation. “These privately-funded application fee scholarships will help lessen the financial impact on #DACA recipients and their families.”

Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) recently announced a fund similar to Washington’s in her state. Raimondo raised more than $170,000, working with a number of people and organizations, to help DACA recipients cover the costs of reauthorization.