Former President Bill Clinton ripped President Donald Trump's decision to rescind the DACA program for illegal immigrants, saying the move would "crush their dreams and weaken the American dream for the rest of us."
"DACA has brought hundreds of thousands of young people out of the shadows — allowing them to live without fear, go to school, work, and contribute to America in countless other ways," the former two-term Democratic president said in a statement via Twitter.
"These young people's dreams are part of the American dream," he added. "And they make it more real for all of us."
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program was created by another two-term Democrat, President Barack Obama, in 2010 by executive order.
"Today's decision by the White House to terminate DACA — and that is effectively what it attempts to do — will crush their dreams and weaken the American dream for the rest of us," Clinton said.
"It's wrong because it's bad policy that solves no pressing problem and raises new ones.
"It's wrong because it's irresponsible, passing the buck instead of offering sensible solutions for immigration reform.
"Most of all," Clinton continued, "it's wrong because it's cruel to send these young people to places many of them have never lived and do not know.
"For them, this is home. The United States is their home.
"Instead of punishing them, we should find ways to openly embrace them and to empower them to make their own contributions, as previous generations of immigrants have done," Clinton said.
"Congress should act immediately to protect their status and pave the way for their future and America's future."