Western Pa. leaders react to decision to shut down DACA

The Trump administration’s decision Tuesday to let the DACA program die sparked protests nationwide, including in Pennsylvania.

Mayor Bill Peduto told Channel 11 he is standing by the side of “dreamers,” the undocumented immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children and were protected from deportation by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy enacted by former President Obama in 2012.

Likewise, state leaders say they are preparing for a fight and plan on going to court.

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But apolitical leaders are pushing back against the decision as well.

“I was disappointed,” said Bishop David Zubik of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. “I was hoping the decision would have been different.”

Zubik didn’t hold back on his disagreement with President Donald Trump’s decision to end DACA, calling it a step back.

Now he and others want lawmakers to step in to protect the 800,000 dreamers nationwide -- nearly 6,000 of them in Pennsylvania -- affected by the decision.

“We do have to be careful that we don’t forget about what our roots are as a country and as individuals,” Zubik said.

In a statement, Peduto pledged to “protect” dreamers in the city.

"Despite this action I want all immigrants living in Pittsburgh - working here, studying here, raising a family here -- to know that I and others will do all we can to protect you,” he said.

Gov. Tom Wolf said he and others are exploring all options, and hopes Congress keeps the program.

“We are a state of immigrants and it’s something that’s unfair and that is not who we are,” he said.

Channel 11 also spoke to state Attorney Gen. Josh Shapiro, who told us he’s willing to fight to protect the 6,000 dreamers in Pennsylvania.

“I will be taking legal action and I expect that there will be other attorneys general that will as well,” he said.

The Republican Committee of Allegheny County released a statement Tuesday afternoon supporting Trump’s decision.

“The previous administration, under President Obama, was not satisfied with the legislature’s action on the subject, so it unconstitutionally circumvented them in an unlawful exercise of executive power,” the committee said. “Immigrants who were brought to the country as young children, through no act of their own, cannot be held at fault for their illegal status. We must come up with compassionate legislation to help solve this problem.”

Cox Media Group