NJBIA Backs Opposition to Ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals 

The New Jersey Business & Industry Association has signed on to an amicus brief supporting New Jersey’s opposition to legal action by Texas and a group of other states aimed at ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

NJBIA joined other New Jersey businesses, associations, and nonprofit institutions in an amicus brief authored and filed by Lowenstein Sandler LLP in State of Texas, et al. v. United States of America et al. Texas and its other co-plaintiff states have asked the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to issue a preliminary injunction against the DACA program.

DACA is an administrative program established in 2012 that permits certain undocumented individuals who came to the United States as children, and who meet certain criteria, to request protection from deportation for renewable two-year periods, and eligibility for work permits.

“Ending the DACA program would cause great harm for New Jersey companies and our economy,” said NJBIA President and CEO Michele N. Siekerka, Esq. “There are 22,000 New Jersey residents who are at risk of no longer being eligible to obtain work authorization. This loss of these important contributing members of our society would result in an estimated decrease of $1.6 billion in our GDP every year, which New Jersey can ill afford.”

Lowenstein Sandler submitted the brief on behalf of Audible, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Montclair State University, NJBIA, the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, Prudential Financial, Sanofi US, and Verizon Communications. The brief highlights the significant harms to the New Jersey economy and New Jersey businesses that would result if DACA were enjoined and thousands of New Jerseyans suddenly became unable to contribute to the state’s economy by working, attending school, and paying taxes.

The submission was among numerous other amicus briefs in support of New Jersey’s position, including those on behalf of major colleges and universities, religious organizations, health care professionals, and legal services organization. Additional amicus briefs in support of that position were filed on behalf of current and former law enforcement officials and prosecutors, nationwide companies and organizations, and Texas-based businesses and associations, including several Texas Chambers of Commerce, International Bancshares Corporation, and Southwest Airlines.

Lowenstein Sandler took up the amicus project through the Lowenstein Center for the Public Interest. The Lowenstein team included David Leit, Gavin J. Rooney, and Craig Dashiell.