Rival mayoral candidates Bo Dietl and Nicole Malliotakis support continuation of DACA, and oppose President Trump’s expected termination of the program. I spoke with Dietl, running on a self-created line in the general election, and Malliotakis, the Republican and Conservative Party nominee, just before today’s West Indian Day Parade.
Dietl:
Dietl said that he’s “totally against” the ending of DACA. Voicing support for the DACA applicants, Dietl declared that “we gotta bring ’em into our system” and called for a path to citizenship.
Malliotakis:
Malliotakis condemned any presidential action removing the DACA protections. Noting that there has not been any White House announcement yet, Malliotakis was nonetheless clear that she would oppose any significant reduction or elimination of DACA’s protections. She urged Congress to act and “put[] forward some type of path for legalization and citizenship.” She also urged Congress to act more broadly to improve the immigration system.