Politics

Obama Calls DACA ‘An Example Worth Remembering’ Amid Immigration Protests

By Jake Beardslee · June 16, 2025

As protests against President Donald Trump’s immigration policies and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids escalate across the country, former President Barack Obama spoke out Sunday in defense of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, calling for a thoughtful approach grounded in both empathy and legal principles.

“DACA was an example of how we can be a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws,” Obama wrote in a post on X. “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 demonized and treated as enemies.”

The DACA program, introduced by Obama in 2012, offers certain undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children a renewable two-year reprieve from deportation and eligibility for work permits. Though the Trump administration has attempted to dismantle the program, it remains in effect for current recipients, pending ongoing legal challenges.

Obama’s remarks come as protests in Los Angeles enter their eighth consecutive day, with demonstrations featuring both “peaceful marches and clashes with police,” according to ABC News, amid rising tensions over Trump’s immigration crackdown.

Speaking on the need for reform, Obama concluded, “We have to fix our immigration system while still recognizing our common humanity and treating each other with dignity and respect. In fact, it’s the only way we ever will.”