Let’s DACA ‘Bout It

On Tuesday, September 5th, 2017, President Trump made the executive decision to bring Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) to an end. DACA recipients now face a gradual phase out that could end with their deportation to countries they have never called home.

Trump continues to express mixed emotions about his decision to end DACA but ultimately seems to be leaving the final decision to pass legislation concerning DACA to Congress. However, all legislation proposed to protect DACA recipients has repeatedly failed in Congress.

This measure to end DACA affects roughly 800,000 young people in the United States today. The five-year DACA policy allowed children who arrived in the United States without documentation to stay and work legally. Often referred to as “dreamers”, people eligible for this program lived life as young Americans, knowing and calling the United States home.

According to officials, DACA recipients whose legal status expires prior to or on March 5th, 2018 may be eligible to renew their two-year period of legal status if the request is submitted by October 5th, 2017. However, without Congress legislation, young people who have no memory of the countries they were born in may be deported as early as March 6, 2018. Travelling abroad is no longer an option for DACA recipients who would not be allowed back in the country. Additionally, even if DACA recipients are not targeted directly by immigration officials, they will lose their right to work legally when their work permits expire.

This legislation is a tragedy for thousands of young adults across the country. Many fear and question their futures. This legislation may directly affect your neighbor, your friend, or even your college roommate. Honestly, even if you do not know someone directly affected, the end of this program affects us all. Members of our community are hurting, and it is up to us as individuals to support them.

Contact your Congress representative: https://www.contactingcongress.org/

Check to see what your community and schools near you are doing.

Stay informed and open-minded to new information.

If you would like to read more, click here: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/05/us/politics/trump-daca-dreamers-immigration.html

We can make a difference, we must make our voices be heard.