Another day, another DACA proposal. But what is the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and why is it worth shutting down the government over? Here’s what you need to know about the program.
What is DACA?
In 2012, President Barack Obama signed DACA into law through an executive order. The policy was meant to protect unauthorized immigrants who were brought to the U.S as minors – so-called "Dreamers" - from deportation. 800,000 unauthorized immigrants are currently benefiting from the program.
On September 5, 2017, President Donald Trump terminated the program with a six-month delay, giving Congress until March 5, 2018, to come up with a solution for the 800,000 unauthorized immigrants.
Why did Trump end the program?
In announcing the Trump administration’s plans to end DACA, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the program "was inconsistent with the Constitution’s separation of powers" because Obama created it without Congressional approval.
Who uses DACA?
According to the U.S. Customs and Immigration Service, these are the top ten countries of origin for DACA recipients and how many DACA participants hail from each:
Mexico - 655,498
El Salvador - 31,963
Guatemala - 22,821
Honduras - 21,053
South Korea - 9,250
Peru - 9,472
Brazil - 8,128
Ecuador - 7,379
Columbia - 7,055
Argentina - 4,983
What’s the current state of DACA?
In mid-January, a federal judge in San Francisco ruled that the program must be reinstated while lawsuits over its repeal wind their way through the courts. The injunction states that participants in the program must be allowed to renew their protected status, though the federal government is not required to admit any new participants who had not previously applied for DACA status.
What’s the latest with Congress?
After the Senate’s failure to advance a DACA replacement prior to the program’s March 5 expiration date, on February 19, 2018, Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ) offered a new immigration reform proposal in an op-ed in The Washington Post. When the Senate reconvenes on Monday, February 26, Flake will introduce a bill that extends DACA protections for three years and provides $7.6 billion to fully fund the first three years of the administration’s border-security proposal.
What DACA fix does the president want?
President Trump has been urging lawmakers to reject any DACA proposals that do not embrace the "four pillars" of his immigration platform:
Creating a path to citizenship for Dreamers.
Securing the border.
Eliminating the diversity visa lottery.
Limiting family-based immigration.
What do you think?
What DACA deal, if any, do you want to see? Hit Take Action and tell your reps.
(Photo Credit: Kameleon007 / iStock)
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