Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel was among a group of 31 mayor and county executives who asked President Obama, in an open letter, to issue additional protections for immigrants.
The leaders are members of Cities for Action, a coalition of more than 100 mayors and county executives from across the country. The letter thanked Obama for his administration’s support for immigrant families, and urged him him to commit to further protections for the many immigrants in their communities before he leaves office.
The letter asked the Obama administration to strengthen support for young immigrants with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) by accepting early DACA renewal applications. It also asked the administration to timely review current temporary protected status (TPS) designations, and extending, re-designating or making new designations as appropriate.
“As a nation, we are strongest when the safety we seek is supported by the values and freedoms we cherish,” said Emanuel in a statement. “We must stand up against practices that demonize someone based on their faith, race, background or sexual orientation, and instead promote tolerance and inclusion. The reversal of this discriminatory practice is an important step forward, and I want to thank the President for taking this action.”