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Today is the 10th anniversary of DACA – a decade of temporary protections for certain young undocumented immigrants. In recognition of 10 years of this policy, we are sharing 10 key facts about DACA:

1. DACA has been a transformative policy that has allowed young immigrants to pursue their dreams in the U.S. It has allowed more than 825,000 people who arrived in the United States as young children to live without fear of deportation.
2. More than one-third of DACA recipients arrived in the U.S. before they were 5 years old. This country is their home.
3. Most Americans support a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients. Poll after poll consistently show that more than 3/4 of Americans support a pathway to citizenship for immigrant youth, regardless of political party.
4. DACA recipients are essential to our country’s health and well-being. More than 200,000 people with DACA protections work in essential roles like health and education.
5. DACA recipient households pay nearly $10 billion in federal, state, and local taxes each year. Time and time again, people with DACA contribute to the wellbeing of this country without the guarantee of a future here.
6. The temporary nature of DACA leaves its recipients in limbo, forcing them to live their lives in two-year increments. An overwhelming 91.6% of people with DACA or their family members reported concerns about their safety in our 2021 survey.
7. More than 1.3 million people live with a DACA recipient. The instability of temporary protections impacts more than recipients – it affects families, communities, and our larger society.
8. There are hundreds of thousands of people who were not able to qualify for DACA simply because they were too old or young to meet the age requirements, they could not afford the costly fees, their applications are on hold because of politically motivated litigation, or other barriers have prevented them from accessing the program.
9. There is currently no pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients. Despite many promises over the last decade, Congress has yet to deliver on permanent protections for immigrant youth.
10. If you stand with immigrant youth, now is the time to act. Sign our petition to make it clear to Congress that they must act to pass permanent protections. We do not need any vague statements of support or further delay. With the future of DACA recipients at risk from a conservative court ruling, we need Congressional action this year.

Thank you for being in this fight with us. DACA may be temporary, but we are here to stay.

¡Sí Se Puede!

Marielena Hincapié
Executive Director
National Immigration Law Center

P.S: Today we’re live in D.C., blocks away from the Capitol, to show Congress that we need a permanent solution for DACA recipients and all 11 million undocumented people. Please join us if you’re in the area and if not, share a message of support on social media using #ImmigrantsAreEssential.