SAN FRANCISCO—On Tuesday, September 5, President Donald Trump announced the end of the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals program (DACA), a program that protected the children who were brought into the United States illegally. Trump’s announcement led to various protests throughout the country including San Francisco and Trump Tower in New York City.

San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee released the following statement in response to President’s Trump’s announcement:

“As a country and as a government, we asked young people to step out of the shadows and participate in the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Now, this administration wants to attack them for their courageous action.

This is an entire generation of young people—approximately 800,000 people—who have only known America as their home. They are hard-working individuals and diligent students who only aspire to achieve their dreams of educational excellence and economic prosperity. Their families fled to America from war-torn countries and dire economic straits because they saw this country as a place of refuge and hope. To punish them for seeking a better life is unconscionably cruel.

This country needs to pass comprehensive immigration reform. Until we do that, political decisions like these will continue to divide our communities and tear families apart.

San Francisco will always remain a Sanctuary City—a beacon of hope and a place where we embrace all our residents, regardless of their immigration status. We will continue to protect, respect and stand together with our immigrant families.”