DACA is a program created by President Barack Obama in 2012. Under this program, thousands of illegal immigrants who were brought to the United Stated as children illegally were able to legally remain in this country. The immigrants under this program cannot have any serious criminal histories and must also have arrived in the United States of America before 2007 and not have been older than 31 by 2012. Under DACA, these immigrants can live and work legally in between two-year period renewal times. DACA has helped more than 800,000 “Dreamers”, what many of them call themselves and are now widely known as. The term Dreamers comes from the original act that was proposed by President Barack Obama, the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act. The DREAM Act would have potentially allowed these illegal immigrants to gain permanent legal residency but was turned down by Congress who instead passed the DACA bill (Lind). By looking at the benefits of DACA, we can see that DACA helps the United States of America which shows us that DACA shouldn’t be removed.

The entire immigration statistics and patterns in the US have changed drastically in the past decades. The US has grown largely due to immigrants, with an estimated 55% of the population growth tracing back to immigrants. More specifically, Hispanics have gone from being only 4% of the American population in 1965 to being 18% of the American population in 2015. The stereotypical Hispanics in the US are usually thought of being construction workers and this has a lot to do with the Great Recession. Alternatively, more and more skilled immigrants are now coming into the US. Despite this statistic, Americans view Latin American and Middle Eastern immigrants a lot more negatively than any other group of immigrants (Basu). 

An Ohio phone survey was conducted where participants in the state of Ohio were asked to choose between two extremes stereotypes when given a specific immigrant group. These stereotypes were categorized in wealth, dependence, intelligence, violence, and conformity. Latin Americans and Middle Easterns both rated equally as poor on “violent vs. nonviolent” but Latinos ranked the most negatively viewed overall (Fuller). The study overall expressed that the view on a certain immigrant group effects how people view immigration specifically for that immigrant group. This explains the drastic negative view towards any Latin American immigration (Gates).

In the past, growing up illegally in the United States has been relatively uncommon. Roughly 50 years ago, crossing the US/Mexican border was much easier than it has become now and the primary “problematic” immigrants in America were European (Basu). Immigration restrictions applied to the Eastern Hemisphere much heavier than it did to the Mexican border. It was so easy that many Latin American immigrants would travel back and forth across the border. Mexicans would prefer to live in Mexico and travel to the United Stated for only a couple of years at a time due to the many benefits of the US that they didn’t have access to in Mexico. But once it became harder to legally migrate from Mexico, immigrants often decided to settle in the US rather than in Mexico and along came their families with them as to lower the risk of getting caught crossing the border. (Lind)

One of the main appeals for settling in the US rather than in Mexico was (and still is) the wage difference. Starting in 1942, the Bracero Program permitted millions of Mexicans, mainly male, to come work in the US for a short period of time. Though the Bracero Program soon became a fast pass for cheap labor, wages were still seven to ten times higher than the wage in Mexico. While this program was being used, many Mexicans also decided to cross the US border and find jobs themselves, usually ones that paid even lower wages but were still higher than the Mexican wage. Other than the low wage, Mexico was going further and further into debt as well as suffering from natural disasters such the great earthquake of 1985 (Gutierrez).

In 2008, an estimated 11.4 million Mexican immigrants were residing in the US, with over half of them being illegal immigrants. Traditionally, Mexican immigrants have settled in states such as California and Texas, where over half of the Mexican immigrant population reside in. Recently though, Mexican immigrants have begun to settle in other states mainly in the south, such as North Carolina and Georgia, as well as in the Midwest, such as Nebraska and Ohio. Astonishingly, roughly 1 in every 10 Mexicans reside in the US even though the number of Mexican immigrants a year has declined since the recession in 2007 (Terrazas). 

According to a study, conducted by Tom Wong, the average DACA recipient entered the US at the early age of six. Now, the average DACA recipient is 25 which means that many under the protection of DACA have been in the country for 20 years. Before, many immigrants could become legal without having to leave the US at all. Today, illegal parents who have children born in the US must wait for their child to turn 21 before being able to apply for green cards. Before, parents could apply for their green card regardless of their child’s age. As of 1996 though, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) forced anyone who had lived in the US illegally to wait anywhere from 3 to 10 years outside of the US before being able to become legal immigrants (Lind). 

The main purpose of IIRIRA was to create greater consequences for immigrants who came to the US illegally or even for legal immigrants who committed certain crimes. The main complaint about this law was the great number of immigrants who were eligible for deportation, including the legal immigrants. Because of the crimes that made immigrants eligible for deportation, many immigrants became eligible overnight. Many immigrants could gain legal status after being in the US for at least 7 years under certain circumstances, which was already hard to gain, but after IIRIRA, the possibility became virtually impossible. After IIRIRA, deportation became much more common than it ever had before (Lind). 

Dreamers are vastly different from past immigrants in the US. Though they’re illegal immigrants, they’ve grown up in America and as Americans. This also creates a vast difference in one family alone. While Dreamers have been able to obtain legal protection under DACA, their parents have no protection whatsoever. Along with this, many Dreamers had no idea of their legal status until they were getting to the age that teenagers usually get their first jobs or their drivers permit. Before 1986, employers weren’t punished for employing undocumented immigrants. Now, with many companies requiring a social security number, undocumented immigrants are finding it harder and harder to find employers willing to pay “under the table” (Lind).

Anayeli Marcos was brought to the US illegally from Mexico at the young age of 6 by her mother to meet her father. Her father stayed in the US working construction while her mother spent her days cleaning houses for a living. With help from a fundraising campaign, it took Marcos 2 years to save up for the $465 application fee for DACA. After she was approved, Marcos obtained her driver’s license, graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, and got a job as a professor’s research assistant as well as becoming a Spanish interpreter for counselors. With the threat of removing DACA, Marcos worries how her daily life will change. Recently, Marcos flew to El Paso with the professor she was assisting for a research trip and got stopped by a Border Patrol Agent. This alone was a frightening moment for her even with her DACA permit (Hennessy-Fiske).

When it came time for Marcos’ DACA renewal, repeated delays occurred with the US Customs and Immigration Services. Her DACA permit became expired and both of her jobs were telling her she had to stop working but would be able to come back after her work permit was good again. Marcos explains that DACA has always been a risk now that the government know where he lives (Hennessy-Fiske). 

Though many people view DACA is an easy way to gain legalization, the process that Dreamers have to go through to live “regular” legal American lives is extensive. After submitting the application, a biometrics appointment is assigned. Once the biometrics appointment is assigned, the applicant has to get their biometrics completed at the USCIS office assigned (Valdivia). This appointment is simply for USCIS to receive their fingerprints, photograph and signature (Citizen Path). After this is when the applicant receives their denial or approval. Though the acceptance of their work permit is the most important aspect of the process, the applicant then also has to request a Social Security Number and apply for other essential things such as a Driver’s License, Bank Account, etc. (Valdivia) 

Recently, our newly elected president has caused these Dreamers to go back into hiding. Elected partially for his promises to deport all illegal immigrants, Donald Trump has decided to remove the program. The defense being “illegal immigrants are lawbreakers” and that the lives of Americans are being hurt by having them here. In a speech made by Trump during the election, he made it clear that he would deal with the illegal immigrants in a “manner required” since Mexican immigrants are “...bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists”. Trump, a president now known for his high use of social media, tweeted prior to being elected multiple statements about and towards Mexico including, “…stop sending criminals over our border”, “The border is wide open for cartels and terrorists”, and “sucking drugs and death right into the US”. In speeches he also stated that “Mexicans are going to end up loving Donald Trump”, and “Mexico is like the eighth wonder of the world.” In the few months following these statement, Trump repeatedly promised that a wall will be built, paid by Mexico, along the Mexican and American border (Reilly).

After the announcement was made to end DACA, many people expressed their opposing opinions on social media. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg expressed the cruelty of “offering young people the American dream” and then punishing them for it. Even former President Obama expressed the wrongfulness of threatening the futures of “this group of young people…who pose no threat”. President Trump later even tweeted, calling on Congress to “legalize DACA”, showing second thoughts on his previous decision (Lind). 

After the realization of the risk that they faced, Dreamers began to protest, a right given to all Americans, which is exactly what they are in their minds. At an event hosted by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Dreamers interrupted accusing her as well as other Democrats of turning their backs on immigrants by negotiating with President Trump. With many Dreamers facing the risk of losing their work permits and becoming eligible for deportation, they repetitively yelled out “We are not your bargaining chip,” at the event. Though it has been stated the Dreamers will be protected, many immigrants are also worried about the residency of their parents. After repeatedly being called a liar, Pelosi walked out of the event, later telling reports that the protestors “don’t want answers” and “don’t want the Dream Act” (Foley).

As a candidate, Trump stated that he would “immediately terminate” DACA, saying it was “one of the most unconstitutional actions ever undertaken by a president.” Despite this, one elected, he wasn’t quick to act and DACA didn’t formally end until June. Currently, Dreamers can keep their work permits until their expiration date. After this, it’s likely that Dreamers will again be forced to work “under the table”, try to find employers willing to submit false employment eligibility forms, or even attempt to use someone else’s Social Security number to find a job. In some states, their driver’s license will also become invalid (Columbus).

A survey between September 8, 2016 and September 26, 2016 has shown that the results of DACA has made a positive impact for both the recipients as well as the American economy. The data shows that due to the buying of cars and first homes, DACA recipients have made great contributions to the economy. According to the survey conducted, 54 percent of the respondents bought their first car after being approved for DACA, increasing from the survey taken the previous year which only reported 21 percent. Not only do states benefit from the sales tax of these cars, along with any registration and title fees, but they also benefit from having better and more protected drivers on the road. Twelve percent of the respondents also purchased their first home at an average cost of $167,596. These two factors as well as many other big purchases have greatly impacted the economy, creating more jobs at the same time (Wong).

Because DACA recipients had been able to get better and higher-paying jobs, tax revenue has also increased. Eighty-seven percent of the respondents in the survey were currently employed, with another 8 percent not employed but in school. The respondents worked in a variety of fields including educational and health services, professional and business services, and many more. Over half of the participants also reported moving to a higher paying job, a job with better working conditions, and/or a job that better fit their education and training. Not only did many Dreamers change jobs, but many also started their own business. Roughly 6 percent of the respondents stated starting their own business, a higher percentage than that of the American public (Wong).

According to a study conducted by the CATO Institute, the economy could lose roughly $283 billion over the course of 10 years with the elimination of DACA and the deportation of the 800,000 DACA participants (Brannon). Deporting these recipients alone could potentially cost the American government $60 billion with both of these number being “conservative”. Though one big argument against DACA is the harm that it causes towards native born Americans because of a “potential loss of available jobs”, CATO reads that the repeal of DACA could cost the US $460.3 billion in economic output alone (Abramson).

The decision is ultimately up to Congress. One possibility is the creation of another program similar to DACA while the other is the final termination of DACA and all work permit renewals, possibly resulting in the deportation of 800,000 DACA recipients. Though many people fail to realize the drastic change of immigration in the past century, the level of difficultness to receive legal status, and the extensive benefits of DACA both for the Dreamers as well as the US, the removal of DACA and the deportation of the recipients will cause many immigrants who are in every way American except for legally to change their lives over night as well as the drastic economic decline that the US will suffer.
