Millions and millions of dreamers everywhere are in an uproar because of the latest development The White House has come up with: doing away with the DACA program.

For those of you who do not know what the DACA program (Deferred Action For Child Arrivals) is, it is an immigration policy established by President Barack Obama administration back in June 2012. DACA allows certain “illegal” immigrants who entered the country as minors to receive a two-year period of deferred action from deportation and eligible for a work permit. Of course, DACA isn’t just given freely and there is a lot of guidelines to receive DACA. For instance, you can not have a criminal background. You must be between the ages of 15-31 years old, so anyone who is under the age of 15 is not able to receive DACA. You must be currently in school, have graduated high school, or received a certificate of completion from a high school. If you dropped out of school you’re not able to receive it. If you were discharged from the military with anything other than honorable, you are unable to receive it.

Acceptance into the DACA program isn’t just being handed out like candy on Halloween. Every person that sends a request for DACA is given a background check by none other than homeland security. The guidelines are extensive and you must provide proof that you meet the guidelines that are outlined for them.

The argument that is being placed around by people is, “Why do I have to pay for them? My taxes are used on their education, they get food stamps, they get housing, they are paid for by the American citizens.” If you're spewing this out, just know that you are wrong, proven by the Washington Post and the Immigration Policy. The point of DACA is for them to be able to work to support their family, apply for college to get a better education and work to have a better life they have dreamed about. Different ages have different reasons. As for the “Illegals get more food stamps then actually citizens who need it” was proven incorrect and false by The Washington Post. To receive government assistance you must have a legal status and have a social security number. According to the Immigration policy, undocumented workers are not eligible for most benefits (the fact that they do is a common misconception).

But let’s go over the facts:

1. Undocumented workers are not eligible for major federal funding. The programs range from cash welfare program Temporary Assistance for needy families (TANF), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), any disability program (Social Security), the list goes on.
2. Undocumented workers are not eligible for Social Security even though many contribute to it. An estimate of $12 billion dollars that goes into Social Security is by “illegals” as people affectionately like to call them.
3. Even receiving DACA dreamers still do not qualify for Federal Student Aid and many work multiple jobs to fund their education.
4. When a dreamer sends in for DACA renewal they are required to be subjected to a background check once more and if even a big misdemeanor is on their record, they can have their DACA application canceled without any warning.
5. There are some federal programs that were put in many many years prior to help those in need whether they are legal or not there are only a few. For example, Emergency Medicaid (for children to be able to seek medical care), Supplement program for Women, Infants, and children, Headstart programs, and Emergency services.
6. Out of the school services that the government offers (for grades K-12th) only 1.3% is being used by “illegals” and the rest is used by actual citizens.
7. Dreamers are classified as “booming” the economy because of the fact that dreamers are opening up businesses which ultimately offers more job opportunities for those who need it.

Those are facts that can not be taken away.

But people are also stating why not just leave and wait to become legal. First off, you don’t know what these men, women, boys, and girls are escaping by coming here. Many dreamers came here as a young child with only the clothes on their back. Many came here to escape cruel living conditions, human trafficking, abuse from their government, the list goes on. Forcing them to go back to these conditions they fought tooth and nail to escape would be just cruel.

One dreamer I had the pleasure of knowing back when I was in middle school told me how her parents felt tremendously bad for coming here knowing it was illegal. But their hands were completely tied. When girls were going missing in their neighborhood their parents were worried for her and her sister. The house doors couldn’t lock so basically if someone wanted to come in and take them they could, right from under their families noses. A week later her cousin was taken at just nine years old and the family no longer felt safe. It was right then that her parents decided to leave everything behind including their family that didn’t want to leave so they could keep their children safe. They left with only the clothes on their back and just a backpack with the little money they had.

When they finally got here the family ended up living in a shelter. It was very hard for their family but an act of compassion changed their life. A lady at the shelter opened her home to them and helped her family and gave them a place to stay and help to get her father and mother a green card while getting her and her sister into school who were six and seven at the time.

These people escape to the USA because they have no choice and their backs are against the wall. They never found her cousin to her knowledge but according to her mother, human trafficking was big during that time. I have to say I am proud of her, though. Now she has completed beauty school and is trying to open her own shop.

Not every dreamer or illegal is trying to mooch off the economy like others think. They are hard working individuals who just want a better life and who do not want to have to sleep with one eye open so their family members won’t go missing. They are human beings and deserve to be treated as such. I didn’t include her name so she can have privacy, but there are many dreamers, illegals, who are working hard for a chance at a better life. Can we help them get it?