My Attitude To Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Policy
Imagine that you have lived in America your entire life. You have gone to school here, worked here, and have always done everything right. It comes time to apply for a driver’s license or a college scholarship, and you find out that you are an undocumented citizen and suddenly face the threat of deportation to a country that you know nothing about. Thousands and thousands of children are brought to America as infants and go through this terrible nightmare. President Barack Obama introduced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) immigration policy in 2012 to protect these individuals from deportation. However, Trump administration canceled the program and Congress have ruled that DACA is unconstitutional. Because these young immigrants were brought to America as children, a decision outside their control, and are truly American in every way except paper, I support the DACA program.
To stop the deportation of unauthorized immigrants who were brought to the United States as children, President Barak Obama introduced DACA. On June 15th, 2012, Janet Napolitano, the Secretary of Homeland Security, announced that children who were brought to the United States as children and met several other requirements, can request permission to remain in the country for two years. Along with protection against deportation, these individuals were also given the chance to obtain a working permit, pursue their education, gain access to in-state tuition, loans, and grants, and even qualify for healthcare. The program does not give a path to citizenship. DACA recipients must fall between the age of 16 and 35, be enrolled in high school or have a diploma, and have no criminal history. These recipients are often known as “Dreamers. ” This name was given to them after the Dream Act, a similar bill that was never passed. However, the act raised awareness among Congress concerning the Dreamers, which led to the DACA program being introduced.
Supporters of Obama’s policy argue that these immigrants came to the United States as children, a decision outside their control, so helping them is the right thing to do. Many also argue that the Dreamers grew up in America and have already made so many contributions to society and the economy by participating in the job market. Some of these young people could even be serving in our military, protecting us and our freedom, so it would be wrong to not protect them in return. Proponents of DACA also argue that America has always been a nation of immigrants and that should continue.
Obama’s DACA program quickly raised political debate. Several states challenged the law arguing that it was unconstitutional, arbitrary, invalid and an overreach of presidential power. Some argued that it was not Obama’s decision to make and that DACA reflects the government’s failure to enforce its immigration laws. After President Trump was threatened several times to be sued over the policy, he terminated DACA, calling it an “amnesty-first approach. ” Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions argued that the Dreamers are here illegally and are lawbreakers who are taking jobs from Americans. Republicans and conservatives especially are against DACA and believe there are more prominent issues such as the need for more secure borders. Although Trump administration ended DACA in September of 2017, there has been court rulings since that have kept the policy alive. Federal judges have ruled that the protections under DACA must stay in place, and that the administration’s decision to terminate DACA was unexplained. The government must now accept applications to renew DACA status, along with new applications.
Over 800, 000 undocumented immigrants were protected under DACA and the program changed lives for the better. Before DACA, Dreamers had limited job opportunities because they lacked a social security number, driver’s license, or college degree. However, under DACA, these young individuals could continue their education and found new jobs. Overall, the DACA program relieved an immense amount of stress among these immigrants and they no longer had to face the threat of deportation. DACA promoted immigration by allowing Dreamers to join the work force and further benefit our economy. The policy encouraged immigrants to live the “American Dream. ” Although DACA granted certain privileges, there was some restrictions on its effects among different states. For example, in North Carolina, immigrants under DACA were not eligible for earning in-state tuition at colleges or universities. Studies have shown that DACA actually complicated certain recipients’ potential for gaining higher education. A 19-year-old male DACA recipient felt that his primary education went “to waste” because he couldn’t attend college.
In my opinion, DACA should be restored.
