Immigration policy in the United States — easily one of the more complicated practices around the world. Simultaneously, since the current Trump administration took effect, immigration has been on the minds of residents for quite awhile. From threatening mass deportation, building a border wall, to the most recent discussion of removing former President Obama’s Dreamer Act, every day the administration creates a level of uncertainty for people around the country.
Before getting into this, it’s important to know a little about the roots of immigration policy in the United States and the current state of programs. Easily stated, yet largely not understood, undocumented immigrants do not have the luxury of simply starting an application to apply for citizenship in the United States. The barriers that stand in the way of the application process paired with the long and complicated process does not allow people to progress simply.
Moving forward to DACA – also known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. In 2012, the Obama administration set up this program to help out the children of parents who are in the United States illegally. If specific specifications apply to a person, they are allowed to temporarily reprieve deportation, they are granted permission to work, study, and obtain a driver’s license. What’s important to know is that DACA did not automatically provide recipients with any sort of lawful immigration status, but rather protection from deportation. By doing this, recipients of DACA could put themselves in a position to begin the process for citizenship or to make other arrangements.
Why is this important?
Simply put, children who were brought to the United States illegally by their parents should not be at fault for actions out of their control.
What are the facts?
Currently, in the United States, it is estimated that there are about 800,000 DREAMers (Named after the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act). These DREAMers are known to have come from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras; there are also several thousand recipients from Asia.
What next?
The fate of DACA is not completely over yet. In a recent tweet from President Trump, he states, “Congress now has 6 months to legalize DACA (something the Obama Administration was unable to do). If they can't, I will revisit this issue!” Started by Homeland Security, the termination of DACA is likely to be phased out over the course of the six months; though, DREAMers who have permits that expire before March 5th 2018 are eligible for a renewal before October 5th of this year.
Ending DACA is not something that can easily be swept under the rug. For many of the 800,000 DREAMers in the United States, there is no other country to call home. The deportation of most of these people would mean sending residents of the country who have only ever known the United States and sending them to a foreign country where they are forced to assimilate and enculture themselves with the language, work, and education. Not only is this an issue that needs to be given awareness, it is an issue that needs help and support. In short, DACA has allowed many people who did not have a future provided for them the opportunity to enrich themselves to become successful, working citizens of the United States. Because of this executive order in 2012, thousands of people were able to establish themselves and begin to provide for themselves and our country at the same time. Not only are these people committed to advancing themselves, they are also committed to deepening the patriotism they have loved and known their entire lives. Not only is it disappointing seeing so much fear stemming from DREAMers, it is also disappointing knowing that so many people in Washington are okay with putting the lives of these people at risk. While President Trump tries to say he wants to unify the country, with each of his emerging policy initiatives coming forward, the country is continually showing division and angst throughout the process.
