Colorado and Ohio Govs. Hickenlooper and Kasich unite in appeal to save DACA

Columbus, Ohio — Eleven governors are urging Congress to save an imperiled program that protects young immigrants from deportation.

Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Democratic Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and nine others wrote congressional leaders Wednesday that their cities and towns are seeing more than 100 young people lose protective status every day while the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals is in limbo.

Other governors signing the letter were Democrats from Minnesota, Montana, Pennsylvania and North Carolina; Republicans from Nevada, Massachusetts, Vermont and Utah; and Alaska’s governor, who’s independent.

President Donald Trump phased out the DACA program earlier this year, leaving Congress to negotiate a permanent replacement.

DACA has protected about 800,000 people brought to the U.S. illegally as children or who came with families who overstayed visas. Hundreds of thousands are now college-aged.