LISBON, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Up to 520 Portuguese citizens may be deported from the United States following changes to immigration laws, Secretary of State for Portuguese Communities Jose Luis Carneiro said on Thursday, according to Portuguese Lusa News Agency.
In early September, U.S. President Donald Trump pledged to abolish a program known as DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), which protected anyone brought into the United States illegally as children by their parents. Without that protection, immigrants can be prevented from working or studying and be deported.
"We can confirm that the number of Portuguese citizens covered by DACA represents 1 percent of the overall total, corresponding to 520 people," said Luis Carneiro, head of the Portuguese Communities department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after studying U.S. administration's figures.
Luis Carneiro stressed that it remains unclear exactly how the U.S. government plans to implement the new policy, but said that the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through its network of consuls and embassies, was monitoring the situation carefully.
The Trump administration gave those covered by DACA one last chance to renew their protection for a two-year period. The deadline to do so expires on Thursday.
