‘We're a nation of immigrants’: Barack Obama defends DACA, urges humanity and dignity as Trump expands ICE raids

Former US President Barack Obama advocated for a respectful approach to immigration reform and highlighted the significance of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy.

Obama's statement comes as US President Donald Trump asked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to initiate "efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens" in Democratic-run cities.

In a post on the social media platform X, Obama wrote,"Thirteen years ago, my administration acted to protect young people who were American in every single way but one: on paper."

He added, “DACA was an example of how we can be a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws. And it’s an example worth remembering today, when families with similar backgrounds who just want to live, work, and support their communities are being demonised and treated as enemies.”

Obama called for recognising the humanity and dignity of people while trying to fix the immigration system.

“We can fix our broken immigration system while still recognising our common humanity and treating each other with dignity and respect. In fact, it’s the only way we ever will,” he said.

What is DACA?

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is an immigration policy established by the Obama administration in 2012. It allows certain undocumented immigrants who came to the US as children to avoid deportation temporarily and secure work permits.

Immigrants who entered the US before the age of 16, resided continuously since June 15, 2007, qualify with specific educational or military requirements, and have not been convicted of certain crimes are eligible to apply for DACA. Notably, this policy is not a permanent measure; all beneficiaries are required to renew their status every two years.

Trump's crackdown on immigration

After entering the White House for the second time in January, Trump has initiated several measures to target immigrants, particularly illegal immigrants. Trump's latest order on the expansion of ICE raids comes after massive protests erupted in Los Angeles and other major cities against his immigration policies.

In a post on his Truth Social account, he urged officials to “expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America’s largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside.”

"These, and other such Cities, are the core of the Democrat Power Center, where they use Illegal Aliens to expand their Voter Base, cheat in Elections, and grow the Welfare State, robbing good paying Jobs and Benefits from Hardworking American Citizens," he added.

Previously, Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff and main architect of Trump's immigration policies, stated that ICE officers intend to target at least 3,000 arrests per day, up from around 650 a day during the initial five months of Trump's second term.