Virginia—Progress Virginia, the commonwealth’s leading voice for progressive values, today thanked Attorney General Mark Herring for standing up for DACA recipients. Herring announced earlier today his office would be joining Attorneys General from across the country in suing over Donald Trump’s cruel and un-American decision to end the program that allows undocumented youth who grew up in this country to remain without threat of deportation.

“Virginians condemn in the strongest possible terms Donald Trump’s heartless decision to end the DACA program and threaten the futures of over 12,000 immigrant youth living in our communities,” said Progress Virginia executive director Anna Scholl. “We’re proud Attorney General Mark Herring is taking important steps to not only declare immigrants are welcome here, but to fight for families who go to work and school everyday just to work hard for a better life. There’s no place for Donald Trump’s hateful attacks on immigrants and communities of color in our commonwealth. Until Congress steps up to pass the bipartisan DREAM Act, we’re so glad we can count on Mark Herring to make sure we’re all safe and secure.”

According to the Interfaith Worker Justice, DACA has allowed 12,100 young people to live and work legally in Virginia. An April 2017 poll also found that 78 percent of American voters supported giving DREAMers a chance to stay permanently in the U.S.