How Will the End of DACA Affect the Future of Immigrants?

In 2012, former President Barack Obama signed a program into Congress that would help benefit the illegal immigrants who arrived in the United States as children. The program, known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), was created as an effort to prevent young undocumented immigrants from deportation. The program intended to help immigrants who came into the US illegally obtain status and work in America for a period of two years. At the end of the two year period, illegal immigrants would have to reapply for DACA in order to remain in the US. However, by the end of 2017, DACA will be terminated. What does this mean for immigrants who are protected from deportation under DACA? The answer is uncertain.

Over the course of his first year in office, President Donald Trump has publicly stated that he is strongly against illegal immigrants living in the country. Trump has admitted that he feels there are too many illegal immigrants living in the US that are taking jobs away from American citizens. By ending DACA, Trump wants to end illegal immigration. Trump’s decision to end the program will result in the deportation of over 800,000 undocumented immigrants living in the United States by as early as March 2018.

The ending of DACA raises many concerns for illegal immigrants currently living in the US under the protection of the program. Immigrants that are currently working will no longer have a suitable work permit and their status in the country may be compromised. As of September, DACA will still accept applications for renewal of citizenship and work permits until October 5. After the application period closes, any illegal immigrant who did not submit an application will most likely be deported back to their country of origin.

At the moment, President Trump and Congress are trying to reach a decision on what program will replace DACA. The program that Trump Administration and Congress are working to create will have stricter qualifications in the work field and there will be no more “chain immigration” (the immigration of immigrants who have family connections in America). In addition, there will be stricter laws created for immigrants to obtain green cards in the US.

DACA allowed for illegal immigrants to reside on American soil and work to provide for their families. By replacing the program, many immigrants will financially struggle to provide for their families and they will lose the life they created for themselves and their children. Without DACA, the future of immigration in the US and the lives of immigrants living in the country will have life-altering effects. But for now, the future of immigration remains unknown.

Sources: http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/03/politics/daca-on-the-brink/index.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/22/nyregion/daca-program-young-immigrants-feeling-helpless.html