ADL New York Region’s Assistant Director Michael Arlen joined lawmakers, advocates and elected officials on the steps of City Hall on November 16th to call on President Obama to stop the deportation of DACA (deferred action for childhood arrivals) enrollees via pardon power.

We issued following statement:

ADL has long advocated for the passage of meaningful comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.  At a time of uncertainty for hundreds of thousands of young undocumented immigrants in our country who have benefited from DACA, we must continue to do all we can to protect their rights and ensure that they are able to legally contribute to our society.  Young immigrants who have grown up in our communities and led exemplary lives deserve to be able to live out of the shadows without fear of arrest or deportation because of their citizenship status. We thank everyone who has gathered here today and in Albany to give voice to this important issue and to commit to ensuring that we honor America’s history as a nation of immigrants.

We thank Assemblyman Marcos Crespos for bringing the community together for this important and timely cause.