The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, condemned President Trump’s termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program as “pandering to the demands of anti-immigrant extremists.”

DACA is the Obama-era federal administrative relief from deportation policy that protects the rights of some 800,000 undocumented young people, commonly referred to as “Dreamers,” brought to the United States as children.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced in a press conference this morning that the DACA program is “being rescinded.” Sessions said the Department of Homeland Security would begin a “wind down” of DACA.

In a statement, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said:

“The American Muslim community and CAIR stand with the 800,000 undocumented young people who were brought to our nation as children, who call the United States home and whose only dream is to come out of the shadows and to stay where they belong.

“By terminating DACA, even with a six-month delay or ‘wind down,’ President Trump is pandering to the demands of anti-immigrant extremists and harming our nation by targeting some of the most dynamic and success-oriented members of society. In practical terms, the ‘delay’ in implementing the termination is meaningless for the vast majority of Dreamers and will inevitably result in chaos in their lives.

“These young Dreamers deserve the chance to work and study — and to be protected from deportation — while Congress debates broader legislation to fix our broken immigration system.

“President Trump’s heartless action will only serve to create fear and anxiety for the Dreamers and their loved ones, and will force them back to living in the shadows, rendering them unable contribute to our nation’s economy.

“CAIR encourages state and local officials across the nation to enact policies prohibiting discrimination based on citizenship status and to offer sanctuary and support for Dreamers.

“American Muslims will continue to push for measures that protect undocumented youth and support comprehensive immigration reform – reform that includes a roadmap to citizenship for the nation’s 11 million undocumented residents.”

Last week, CAIR National Board Chair Roula Allouch joined more than 1,860 fellow leaders in signing a new “We are with Dreamers” statement calling on President Trump to preserve the DACA program and for Congress to pass a standalone version of the bipartisan Dream Act of 2017.

SEE: CAIR National Board Chair Roula Allouch Joins More Than 1,860 American Leaders in Declaring “We are with Dreamers”

CAIR recently issued an action alert urging all Americans to call the White House and demand that the president uphold immigration protections for Dreamers.

CAIR Action Alert: Call White House Today – Protect DACA – Support Dreamers

The Washington-based civil rights organization said it has witnessed an unprecedented increase in hate incidents targeting American Muslims and members of other minority groups since the election of Donald Trump.

CAIR asks community members to report any bias incidents to police and to CAIR‘s Civil Rights Department at 202-742-6420 or by filing a report at: http://www.cair.com/report

Because of the rise in hate incidents, CAIR recently launched an app to share critical “know your rights” information and to simplify the process to report hate crimes and bias incidents.

For a quick download of CAIR‘s civil rights app, click here: http://www.cair.com/app

CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.