{"id":460,"date":"2023-01-12T19:19:28","date_gmt":"2023-01-12T19:19:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wsu.tonahangen.com\/citizen\/?page_id=460"},"modified":"2023-01-12T19:19:38","modified_gmt":"2023-01-12T19:19:38","slug":"a-look-at-the-past-present-and-future-of-daca","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wsu.tonahangen.com\/citizen\/?page_id=460","title":{"rendered":"A Look at the Past, Present, and Future of DACA"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Look at the Past, Present, and Future of DACA<\/strong><\/p>\n

Francis Hodge, Fall 2022<\/p>\n

DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, was created by President Barack Obama through an Executive Order in 2012.[1] This order came as a response to the failed attempt at passing the DREAM Act, a piece of legislation that would help illegal immigrants currently residing in the United States. The DREAM Act has had many iterations, and has come before Congress at least 11 times since the act\u2019s original inception in 2001.[2] Advocates for immigration reform had criticized the Obama Administration for failing to push any legislation on the subject, and with a re-election approaching, he hoped to garner support.[3] DACA is a piece of legislation that provides a 2 year deferment from deportation actions which can be renewed, and eligibility for a work permit. The program is not a path to citizenship, and does not grant amnesty. Recipients of DACA cannot vote, receive Social Security, college financial aid, or food stamps. Only under specific circumstances are DACA recipients allowed to leave the country.[4] Overwhelmingly, recipients of DACA are originally from Mexico, followed up by other countries in South America, as well as Korea. The three states with the highest number of DACA recipients are California, Nevada, and Texas.[5] There are many requirements for a person to qualify for DACA: that the person be under the age of 31 as of June 15th, 2012, that they had entered the United States by their 16th birthday, that they have continuous residence in the United States since June 15th, 2007, that they be currently in school, or achieved a high school diploma or GED, or be an honorably discharged veteran, and that they have not been convicted of a felony.[6] While It is estimated that there are 1.9 million potential participants in this program, The USCIS has only registered 690,000 total to the program as of 2017.[7]\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

During his first presidential campaign, Donald Trump announced his plans to terminate DACA, and in June of 2017 his administration announced the phase out of the program.[8] The Department of Homeland Security rescinded the expansion of the program, and in September of 2017 Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the program was being repealed. In response, multiple states filed lawsuits with the intent to stop the repeal of DACA. The judges in these cases filed injunctions to temporarily keep DACA instated, and in April of 2018 the US District Court for the District of Columbia ruled to temporarily maintain DACA.\u00a0 <\/span>In May of that year, several states sued to rescind DACA, claiming that President Obama had overstepped his authority in the creation of the program.[9] In 2021, Judge Andrew Hanen ruled that DACA renewals could be processed, but suspended all new applications to the program, reversing an earlier ruling by the Department of Homeland Security that had moved to preserve DACA.[10] The Biden administration appealed this ruling to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, and added further protections to the program’s status by codifying it into regulatory law.[11] Judge Hanen requested additional legal arguments related to the circumstances of the case, but has not set a time for future hearings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Turning to the experiences of DACA recipients, a look at the DACA subreddit shows discussion regarding current events and policy. It is home to 24.6 thousand members. Scanning recent posts, there are numerous queries related to the challenging task of navigating life in the limbo between citizenship and illegal alien status. One thread, in which a user talks of their plans to write letters to all 535 members of congress asking for their support of the program, garnered a plethora of responses with offers of co-signing the document, suggestions to add Judge Andrew Hanen to the list as well, and tips for how to best get the attention of one\u2019s state representative and senator. There are numerous threads with questions about different jobs a DACA recipient is eligible, AMAs (Ask Me Anything) with people who work in immigration reform, and reminders to sign various petitions. Offline, organizations like Youth Empowered in the Struggle, or YES, and Leaders Igniting Transformation, or LIT provide platforms for DACA recipients, who cannot legally vote, to advocate for others to vote on their behalf. The groups canvass in areas with low voter turnout, and are involved with draft legislation and budget processes, areas of civic involvement open even to those who cannot vote.[12]<\/p>\n

In the media, a depiction of a DACA recipient\u2019s journey to join the Marines dramatized in the musical Americano! reflects DACA recipients\u2019 desire to engage with the United States at the level of a full citizen. Barack Obama emphasized this sentiment in a response to actions taken by the Trump Administration to end the program in a statement, writing \u201cTo target these young people is wrong \u2013 because they have done nothing wrong. It is self-defeating \u2013 because they want to start new businesses, staff our labs, serve in our military, and otherwise contribute to the country we love. And it is cruel. What if our kid\u2019s science teacher, or our friendly neighbor turns out to be a Dreamer? Where are we supposed to send her? To a country she doesn\u2019t know or remember, with a language she may not even speak?\u201d[13] 62 percent of those polled by NBC\/ Wall St. Journal in December 13-15 of 2017 join former President Barack Obama in supporting the continuation of DACA [14], but with further hearings on the program in limbo, its future remains frustratingly uncertain for those who do currently or who wish to benefit from DACA.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Notes<\/strong><\/p>\n

[1]\u201cDeferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).\u201d Sandra Day O\u2019Connor College of Law. https:\/\/libguides.law.asu.edu\/DACA\/history#:~:text=The%20Deferred%20Action%20for%20Childhood%20Arrivals%20%28DACA%29%20program,began%20accepting%20DACA%20applications%20in%20August%202012.%20Establishment<\/a> Accessed 6 November 2022.<\/p>\n

[2]\u201cDeferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).\u201d Howard University Law Library. https:\/\/library.law.howard.edu\/civilrightshistory\/immigration\/daca<\/a> Accessed 6 November 2022.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

[3]Gamboa, Suzanne. \u201cWhat is DACA? What you need to know.\u201d NBC News. 8 March 2018. https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/storyline\/smart-facts\/what-daca-n854906<\/a> Accessed 28 November 2022.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

[4]Karen-Lee Pollack, \u201cThe History of DACA.\u201d When Immigration Matters. https:\/\/www.pollakimmigration.com\/blog\/history-of-daca<\/a> Accessed 6 November 2022.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

[5]Campabadal, Marta. \u201cThis is how many Dreamers will be displaced if the DACA program ends.\u201d MSN. 4 November 2022. https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/news\/us\/this-is-how-many-dreamers-will-be-displaced-if-the-daca-program-ends\/ar-AA13JSKm<\/a> Accessed 6 November 2022.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

[6]Karen-Lee Pollack, \u201cThe History of DACA.\u201d When Immigration Matters. https:\/\/www.pollakimmigration.com\/blog\/history-of-daca<\/a> Accessed 6 November 2022.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

[7]Gamboa, Suzanne. \u201cWhat is DACA? What you need to know.\u201d NBC News. 8 March 2018. https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/storyline\/smart-facts\/what-daca-n854906<\/a> Accessed 28 November 2022.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

[8]\u201cDeferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).\u201d Sandra Day O\u2019Connor College of Law. https:\/\/libguides.law.asu.edu\/DACA\/history#:~:text=The%20Deferred%20Action%20for%20Childhood%20Arrivals%20%28DACA%29%20program,began%20accepting%20DACA%20applications%20in%20August%202012.%20Establishment<\/a> Accessed 6 November 2022.<\/p>\n

[9]Karen-Lee Pollack, \u201cThe History of DACA.\u201d When Immigration Matters. https:\/\/www.pollakimmigration.com\/blog\/history-of-daca<\/a> Accessed 6 November 2022.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

[10]\u201cWhat is the history and current status of DACA?\u201d Carecen. https:\/\/www.carecen-la.org\/what_is_the_history_and_current_status_of_dacaAccessed<\/a> 6 November 2022.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

[11]Garcia, Uriel J. \u201cWith a court ruling looming, young Texas immigrants prepare for the possible end of DACA.\u201d The Texas Tribune. 1 September 2022. https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/2022\/09\/01\/texas-daca-undocumented-court-ruling\/<\/a> Accessed 6 November 2022.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

[12]Tran, Lina. \u201cThese Wisconsin DACA recipients can\u2019t vote, so they\u2019re getting others to.\u201d WUWM, 3 November 2022. https:\/\/www.wuwm.com\/2022-11-03\/these-wisconsin-daca-recipients-cant-vote-so-theyre-getting-others-toAccessed<\/a> 6 November 2022.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

[13]\u201cREAD: Obama\u2019s full statement on DACA.\u201d CNN. 5 September 2017. https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2017\/09\/05\/politics\/obama-full-statement-daca\/index.html<\/a> Accessed 28 November 2022. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

[14] Gamboa, Suzanne. \u201cWhat is DACA? What you need to know.\u201d NBC News. 8 March 2018. https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/storyline\/smart-facts\/what-daca-n854906<\/a> Accessed 28 November 2022.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Further Reading<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Dream Act: An Overview.\u201d American Immigration Council.<\/p>\n

Jonathan Limehouse: \u201cAs judge weighs DACA, advocates gather in Houston to demand program remain in place.\u201d Houston Chronicle.<\/p>\n

Americano! The Musical. https:\/\/americanothemusical.com\/about\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Look at the Past, Present, and Future of DACA Francis Hodge, Fall 2022 DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, was created by President Barack Obama through an Executive Order in 2012.[1] This order came as a response to the failed attempt at passing the DREAM Act, a piece of legislation that would help … Continue reading A Look at the Past, Present, and Future of DACA<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":9,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-460","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wsu.tonahangen.com\/citizen\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/460","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wsu.tonahangen.com\/citizen\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wsu.tonahangen.com\/citizen\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wsu.tonahangen.com\/citizen\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wsu.tonahangen.com\/citizen\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=460"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/wsu.tonahangen.com\/citizen\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/460\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":464,"href":"https:\/\/wsu.tonahangen.com\/citizen\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/460\/revisions\/464"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wsu.tonahangen.com\/citizen\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wsu.tonahangen.com\/citizen\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=460"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}