Big companies including GM, IBM and Facebook write open letter urging Donald Trump to 'leave DACA in place' to avoid jeopardizing the nation's economy after he hints at immigration order

A group of the nation's top employers wrote President Donald this weekend urging him to keep the DACA program 'in place' to avoid harming the economy or impacting 'vulnerable individuals.'

The letter follows a Supreme Court ruling that Trump administration had acted without providing sufficient legal justification when it sought to take down the Obama-era law.

With the U.S. economy buffeted by the coronavirus, business that are part of the Coalition for the American Dream pressed Trump not to find new ways to take away protections for DACA recipients – which the ruling allowed could be permissible if done properly.  

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A group of the nation's top employers wrote President Donald this weekend urging him to keep the DACA program in place

'This is no time to disrupt the economic recovery of our companies and communities, nor time to jeopardize the health and safety of these vulnerable individuals,' the companies wrote. 

'We ask that you leave DACA in place and refrain from taking any additional administrative actions that would negatively impact the DACA program.'

The letter was signed by top national employers including IBM, General Motors, Facebook, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, Amazon, and Starbucks. 

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The Coalition for the American Dream includes major employers who stressed the contributions of DACA recipients

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Trump announces he will try again to end the DACA program

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'As large American employers and employer organizations, we strongly urge you to leave the DACA program in place. DACA recipients have been critical members of our workforce, industries, and communities for years now, and they have abided by the laws and regulations of our country in order to maintain their DACA status,' they wrote.

The group says it represents 140 employers and trade associations. 

The pressure comes after Trump said Friday he would soon issue an executive order on immigration that includes a path to citizenship for people brought to America illegally as children.

But the White House quickly seemed to walk back the idea, saying hours later this was just a possibility in talks with Congress on immigration reform.

'I'm going to do a big executive order. I have the power to do it as president and I'm going to make DACA a part of it,' Trump said in an interview with Telemundo Noticias.

DACA stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

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Ivania Castillo from Prince William County, Va., holds a banner to show her support for dreamer Miriam from California, as she joins Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients in celebration in front of the U.S. Supreme Court after the Supreme Court rejected President Donald Trump's bid to end legal protections for young immigrants, Thursday, June 18, 2020, in Washington

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A group of people is seen wearing masks while displaying their placards during the demonstration. Pro-DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) demonstration in front of the Supreme Court

It began in 2012 under then-president Barack Obama and has allowed some 700,000 people brought without papers to the United States as children to live, work and study without danger of being deported. Most of them are Latin American.

In 2017, Trump tried to cancel the program but the Supreme Court ruled last week that the administration had acted with weak legal justification and it let DACA stand for now.

The ruling suggested there are legal administrative methods Trump could use to cancel DACA, putting the onus back on the administration if it wants to pursue the issue.

Trump said in the interview that in the wake of the court ruling, he would issue an order addressing migration issues that include DACA.

'We're going to have a road to citizenship,' he said.

Trump is facing an uphill battle to reelection in November and has made cutting immigration -- both legal and illegal -- a cornerstone of a platform aimed at his white, working-class base.

Hours after Trump spoke, the White House put out a statement that seemed to walk back his remarks on creating a path to citizenship for DACA beneficiaries.

'As the President announced today, he is working on an executive order to establish a merit-based immigration system to further protect US workers,' White House spokesman Judd Deere said.

'Furthermore, the President has long said he is willing to work with Congress on a negotiated legislative solution to DACA, one that could include citizenship, along with strong border security and permanent merit-based reforms,' he added.

'Unfortunately, Democrats have continually refused these offers as they are opposed to anything other than totally open borders,' Deere added.