The Only Country They’ve Called Home

Good afternoon,

We are approaching the 10-year anniversary of the establishment of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Established in June 2012 by President Barack Obama, DACA allows certain undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children, known as Dreamers, to temporarily stay and work in the country on a renewable basis. Although there are approximately 3.6 million Dreamers currently residing in the U.S., only 653,000 are protected under DACA.

DACA has faced numerous legal challenges in the last decade, largely because it was created via executive action instead of legislation. In 2018, a group of Republican state attorneys general filed a lawsuit against the federal government’s establishment of the program. Last July, U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen ruled in the case that DACA was illegal but allowed for a temporary stay on his ruling. Currently, no new DACA applications can be approved, though current recipients can continue to renew their status.

For many Dreamers, the United States is the only country they have truly called home. They have integrated into American society and added value to our nation while working and learning alongside U.S. citizens and other immigrants.

Providing permanent status to Dreamers will help boost our economy and labor market. It is estimated that DACA recipients will add $433.4 billion to the GDP in the next ten years. Although they have federal work authorization, DACA recipients are often excluded from obtaining state occupational licenses which are required for many middle-skill occupations. Just this week, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed into law a bill that expands DACA recipients’ eligibility for certain kinds of professional licenses. States that enact laws permitting DACA recipients to obtain these licenses are not just improving the lives of Dreamers but also addressing important labor shortages.

DACA’s influence has also made its mark on American arts and culture. One DACA recipient has brought his story to the musical theater scene. Tony Valdovinos’s family came to America without documentation when he was two years old. It wasn’t until Tony unsuccessfully tried to enlist in the Marines that he discovered he was undocumented. Enrolling in the DACA program has protected Tony from deportation and allowed him to remain in his home state of Arizona. His story is told in the musical, ¡Americano!, which is now showing at the New World Stages in New York City.

Recent polling shows that there is broad consensus on providing a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers. Yet without Congressional action, DACA recipients like Tony face an uncertain future. Now, more than ever, we must urge Congress to find a bipartisan solution for Dreamers.

For more information on DACA, read the National Immigration Forum’s new policy resource.

Stay healthy and hopeful,

Adam

P.S. The Forum’s President & CEO, Ali Noorani, will soon be stepping down from his role to continue his work at the Hewlett Foundation. We are looking for a strategic leader to guide the Forum’s work into this next chapter. Please read and share the job description with your networks!

Adam Estle
Vice President of Field and Constituencies
National Immigration Forum 

NEWS CLIPS TO NOTE:

BAPTIST NEWS GLOBAL: Congress has had 10 years to address DACA and still hasn’t acted, leaving hundreds of thousands in peril

ASSOCIATED PRESS: Federal judge halts preparations for end of US asylum limit

AXIOS: DHS outlines plan to secure border after Title 42 is lifted

BLOOMBERG: Senators to Convene Bipartisan Immigration Meeting After Impasse