Utah Elected Officials Call On Congress To Act After DACA Decision

Utah’s elected officials reacted swiftly to the president’s decision Tuesday to discontinue a program that protects children of undocumented immigrants.

Gov. Gary Herbert says Congress must act “quickly, humanely and with certainty” to fix the country’s broken immigration system.

His was just one of several statements issued across Utah’s political establishment after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced an end to the Obama administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, better known as DACA.

The program impacts close to 10,000 Utahns who were brought to the country illegally as young children.

Sen. Orrin Hatch’s office says Hatch had urged the president not to discontinue DACA. He says he’lll now work with Congress to find what he called a real, permanent solution that recognizes the positive impact that Dreamers have in their communities.

Rep. Chris Stewart says he's co-sponsored two pieces of legislation that would protect DACA students who are currently in school or are serving in the armed forces from deportation.