California leaders react to DACA phase-out: ‘Despicable assault on innocent young people’

The decision, said Sen. Kamala Harris, “undermines our nation’s values and is a cruel betrayal” to more than 200,000 Californians. “The consequences of this decision will be devastating,” she said. “It will split up families, force young people back to countries they never knew, and cost our economy billions of dollars. It is heartless less The decision, said Sen. Kamala Harris, “undermines our nation’s values and is a cruel betrayal” to more than 200,000 Californians. “The consequences of this decision will be devastating,” she ... more Photo: AL DRAGO, NYT Photo: AL DRAGO, NYT Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close California leaders react to DACA phase-out: ‘Despicable assault on innocent young people’ 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

The response to President Trump’s decision to phase out the DACA program, which protects immigrants who came to the U.S. as children, was swift in San Francisco and across California, with many elected officials lambasting the policy reversal Tuesday and vowing to fight it.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Kamala Harris, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and others called the elimination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program irresponsible and cruel. If Congress does not step in, the program will wind down over the next few years, leaving about 800,000 people often referred to as Dreamers vulnerable to deportation.

“President Trump’s decision to end DACA is a deeply shameful act of political cowardice and a despicable assault on innocent young people in communities across America,” said Pelosi, D-San Francisco. “Deporting Dreamers means destroying the lives of hundreds of thousands of patriotic young people, costing the economy billions and betraying the fundamental values of the American Dream.”

When former President Barack Obama established the program in 2012, it was a “ray of hope” for people who were American in every way except on paper, said U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto.

“Over 787,000 individuals have received relief from deportation under the DACA program,” Eshoo said. “These children put their faith in our government when they chose to come out of the shadows and I will fight with all that I have to ensure Congress passes legislation to overrule the President's irresponsible action and ensure that these children can remain in the only country they have ever known.”

U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, a Republican from Costa Mesa, agreed that Congress must take action and “face the issue squarely and fearlessly,” but he was among a handful of California officials who sided with Trump.

“However much we may sympathize with the hundreds of thousands of these children, many of whom have reached adulthood and have become ‘Americanized,’ we in Congress must work to prevent such cynical loopholes from being created again by executive fiat,” he said. “I applaud President Trump and Attorney General Sessions as they restore rigorous constitutional standards to the vexing issue of illegal immigration.”

Sen. Kamala Harris scolded Trump, saying that ending DACA “undermines our nation’s values and is a cruel betrayal” to more than 200,000 Californians. “The consequences of this decision will be devastating,” she said. “It will split up families, force young people back to countries they never knew, and cost our economy billions of dollars. It is heartless.”

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee called the decision “unconscionably cruel” in a statement. “As a country and as a government,” he said, “we asked young people to step out of the shadows and participate” in the program.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein urged Congress to act, and sought to reassure young immigrants who could now face deportation.

“To DACA youth across the country, I say this is not over,” Feinstein said. “I stand with you and your families. You are valued. Our country needs you. And I won’t stop fighting to protect you.”

Republican officials across California offered a mixed reaction. U.S. Rep. Ed Royce, R-Fullerton, sided with the Democrats, saying the status of DACA recipients shouldn’t change from one federal administration to the next.

“Congress should act now to provide a permanent, legislative solution that gives certainty to these kids,” he said. “We should not deny residence to children who have only known America as their home, positively contributed to this great country, and passed a background check.”

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, said that while Obama “unlawfully overstepped” when he created DACA, the onus is now on Congress to create a solution that respects the nation’s laws and secures the borders while maintaining compassion for those brought to the U.S. in their childhood.

“I’m eager to get to work on a permanent fix,” Issa said, “and call on Democrats and Republicans alike to immediately put political posturing aside and let this be a catalyst to achieve long-overdue reforms in this important area of concern.”

State education leaders vowed to fight Tuesday’s decision and protect students who have benefited from DACA protections.

“Our country made an honest deal with these students — study hard, earn your degree, and you will get a fair chance to compete for college,” said state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson. “We should keep deals, not break them. We should support dreams, not defer and destroy them.”

The decision was “heartless and senseless,” said California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley.

“The California Community Colleges remain committed to serving all students, regardless of immigration status and to providing safe and welcoming environments in which to learn,” he said. “We will do all within our power to assist students affected by this decision, and we will advocate tirelessly in Congress for a permanent resolution to this issue.”

Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker