Utahns plan to rally at the State Capitol building on Thursday night in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, amid indications that President Donald Trump may soon end the program.
“With rumors circulating that President Trump plans on repealing DACA, the urgency to defend the program is critical,” said a news release from Unidad Inmigrante, the grassroots organization planning the event.
The program, implemented in 2012, allows undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children to legally receive work permits and attend school. DACA recipients must reapply for the program every two years, which requires them to pass background checks and pay a fee.
But critics of the program say it allows people who have broken the law to escape taking responsibility for their actions.
Utah has approved DACA applications for more than 10,500 people, according to the Migration Policy Institute. The program also is estimated to bring $476 million into the state annually, says the Center for American Progress.
“DACA has given us a sense of hope in achieving our dreams,” said university student, William Pech, in the news release. ”When DACA was introduced, it was the second wind I needed to get going again to not only improve my life but also that of my family‘s.”
The rally is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Rotunda. Event planners say speakers at the event will share how a repeal of the program would affect them.
The Salt Lake Tribune will update this story.