Confronting local immigration issues is a familiar battle Travis County will continue to stay involved in, County Judge Sarah Eckhardt said, and the Sept. 5 announcement by the Trump administration of the termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program is no different.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA,was implemented in 2012 by former President Barack Obama. The program provides legal status, work authorization and other benefits, including participation in the social security program, to 80,000 immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. About 15 percent of DACA recipients are Texas residents, according to the latest data released by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Eckhardt said the county works with multiple organizations in the area that support these immigrants, known as "dreamers," and encouraged Travis County residents to ask members of Congress to act swiftly for a legislative solution to restore this program. President Trump has given Congress six months to identify a solution for the termination of DACA.

“If you take a look at our anchor institutions like our hospitals, universities and colleges, and school districts, it’s a diverse community of people,” Eckhardt said. “As a community and as municipalities, we have to preserve the rights of these dreamers and continue to support them while they are here.”

Commissioner Jeff Travillion echoed a similar concern not only for the county as a whole but for his constituents living in Precinct 1, which covers a portion of the east side and Pflugerville.

“My thoughts are similar to that of President Obama’s,” Travillion said. “You’ve got a valued group of people here and many have been in the country for a long time and it’s the only the country they have ever known. We need to create an effective path so that these DREAMers can continue to excel in school and in their careers.”

The county has been involved in the El Cenizo lawsuit against the state of Texas as a measure to ensure equality for all residents, Eckhardt said. The case challenges Texas' Sanctuary City legislation, Senate Bill 4, which requires local law enforcement entities to cooperate with federal immigration officials and punishes them if they fail to do so.

“We are an international community and always have been,” Eckhardt said. “We will continue moving forward in our support in the El Cenizo case.”