Apple and other companies file amicus brief in support of DACA and Dreamers

Apple is among a handful of companies that have filed a new amicus brief in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program – or DACA. The amicus brief was filed in an appellate case before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, in which some state attorneys general are challenging the legality of the program.

Notably, this is the second amicus brief filed by Apple in support of DACA. For those unfamiliar, DACA is a program introduced during President Obama’s administration that gives children who were brought into the United States illegally the opportunity to remain if they’re registered and paying their taxes.

In this specific lawsuit, the Biden administration is appealing a district court ruling that decided DACA was implemented unconstitutionally. If that decision ultimately ends up being upheld, then the Biden administration would be forced to end DACA, as explained by the ACLU here.

This amicus brief was filed by Apple alongside an array of other companies, including Amazon, Best Buy, Cisco, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, and many others. In it, the companies argue that Dreamers help drive and sustain the American economy:

DACA recipients have helped to drive and sustain the American economy by filling crucial labor shortages, creating new businesses, spending their incomes on American products and services, and paying taxes. DACA recipients have played a particularly important role as front-line workers responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, as the American economy recovers from the pandemic, which continues to jeopardize economic growth in unpredictable ways—including a shortage of workers to fill millions of vacant jobs—the contributions of Dreamers are more important than ever.

Invalidating DACA will therefore inflict serious harm on U.S. companies, workers, and the American economy as a whole. If the District Court’s decision is upheld, approximately 1,700 people will lose their jobs each day—because their DACA status will end. Companies will lose valued employees, workers will lose employers and colleagues, and our national GDP will contract by up to $460 billion.

You can read the full amicus brief below.

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