DACA – Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals

By:
Kristy Lee, Western Washington University class of Spring 2020, Law, Diversity & Justice: Conservation Policy & Restoration

In 2012, the Obama Administration enacted the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Under this program, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it would not deport certain undocumented persons who had come to the United States as children under the age of sixteen. These persons were granted temporary permission to stay in the United States for a period of two years (subject to renewal) and were eligible for basic benefits such as work authorization and drivers’ licenses. Since its enactment, around 909,700 people have received DACA status at least once[1].

DACA has improved the lives of these 909,700 young people in a myriad of ways. It has opened the doors to better-paying job opportunities, higher education and above all has relieved them from the constant worry of deportation from the only country they know as home. This has resulted in positive impact for the United States as a whole. Research has determined that DACA recipients are responsible for $8.8 billion in federal, state, and local taxes paid annually[2].

In 2017, the Trump administration announced a new immigration policy to “no longer exempt classes or categories of removable [undocumented immigrants] from potential enforcement[3].” A memorandum was issued indicating that DHS would no longer be accepting initial DACA applications and provided a single month renewal window for current DACA recipients.

The oral arguments for this case were delivered to the Supreme Court November 2019 and the Supreme Court is expected to publish their opinion in June of 2020. The outcome of this case will not only affect the lives of hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients, but it could also have an impact on the ability of future administrations to implement immigration reform through executive action.

Regardless of the outcome of this case, DACA recipients are living in limbo and fear of deportation. Upon application for DACA, the recipients provided DHS with extensive background and personal information; basically a cheat sheet for the Trump administration to track down and deport the 909,700 young people who successfully qualified for DACA protections. These young people are individuals who came to the United States as children, grew up here, and know this country as their only home. For many, returning to a foreign country where they happened to have been born would be traumatizing. By rescinding DACA, the Trump administration will upend the world of 909,700 people and harm their families, employers and communities.

We will provide more information about the Supreme Court’s decision soon. If you or a family member has questions about DACA, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

[1] “How Many DACA Recipients Are There in the United States?” USAFacts, USAFacts, 11 Nov. 2019, https://usafacts.org/articles/how-many-daca-recipients-are-there-united-states/

[2] Wong, Tom K., et al. “DACA Recipients' Livelihoods, Families, and Sense of Security Are at Stake This November.” Center for American Progress, 18 Sept. 2019, https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/immigration/news/2019/09/19/474636/daca-recipients-livelihoods-families-sense-security-stake-november/

[3] Kanter, Gabrielle, and Jingyi Alice Yao. “Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of the University of California.” Legal Information Institute, Legal Information Institute, https://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/cert/18-587