Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton, Tucson Mayor Jonathon Rothschild and at least 20 other U.S. mayors sponsored a resolution requesting the federal government to allow illegal immigrant youth to seek legal status in the U.S.
The decision came before President Barack Obama announced a new policy Friday that would stop the deportation of young undocumented youth who came to the country before they were 16 and have consecutively lived in the U.S. for five years.
"At a local level, we see these situations every day," Stanton said. "It’s heartbreaking that good kids who grew up calling our cities home could suddenly be snatched up and/or deported through no fault of their own."
The resolution will be voted on Saturday by all of the mayors at the conference. The resolution will then be sent to Congress for a final vote.
According to a news release, Stanton also said Congress has dragged its feet on the DREAM Act for too long. Following Obama's policy announcement, Stanton also said support needs to be provided to young people.
"This is a step in the right direction by the administration," Stanton said.
Reach the reporter at dgrobmei@asu.edu
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