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| DACA |
DACA Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is an American immigration policy established by the Obama administration in June 2012. DACA allows certain illegal immigrants who entered the country as minors to receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation and eligibility for a work permit. Approximately 800,000 such young people (referred to as “Dreamers” after the DREAM Act) were enrolled in the program as of 2017.
In November 2014, President Barack Obama attempted to expand DACA to cover additional immigrants, but multiple states sued to prevent implementation of the expansion and it was ultimately blocked by the courts. The United States Department of Homeland Security rescinded the expansion on June 16, 2017, while continuing to review the existence of the DACA program as a whole. On September 5, 2017, DACA was rescinded by the Trump administration, but implementation was delayed six months to give Congress time to come up with a solution for the population that was previously eligible for DACA.
What exactly is DACA?
President Barack Obama created DACA through a 2012 executive order. The program has allowed hundreds of thousands of young people who were brought to the United States illegally as children to remain in the country. Applicants cannot have serious criminal histories, and must have arrived in the U.S. before 2007, when they were under the age of 16. DACA recipients can live and work legally in the U.S. for renewable two-year periods.
Who has signed up?
As many as 800,000 so-called Dreamers have applied to join the initiative since its inception. Immigration rights advocates have said some 200,000 more have sought DACA protection since Donald Trump became president. Some experts have said the program could end up covering 1.3 million young people if it were allowed to continue. Requests for renewals are now being filed at the rate of about 8,000 a week.
As many as 800,000 so-called Dreamers have applied to join the initiative since its inception. Immigration rights advocates have said some 200,000 more have sought DACA protection since Donald Trump became president. Some experts have said the program could end up covering 1.3 million young people if it were allowed to continue. Requests for renewals are now being filed at the rate of about 8,000 a week.
Why are they called ‘Dreamers’?
DACA was a compromise created by the Obama administration after Congress failed to pass the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act.
DACA was a compromise created by the Obama administration after Congress failed to pass the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act.
DREAM would have offered those who came to the U.S. illegally as children the opportunity to potentially gain permanent legal residency. The act was first introduced in August 2001 by Sen. Orin Hatch, R-Utah, and Dick Durbin, D-Ill. It has resurfaced several times, always failing to get through Congress.
What did Trump decide to do?
The Trump administration, after days of speculation, announced Tuesday it will end DACA. “I’m here today to announce that the program known as DACA that was effectuated under the Obama administration is being rescinded,” Sessions announced, calling the program unconstitutional and criticizing it as “unilateral executive amnesty.”
No new applications for the program will be accepted, Sessions said. The administration will allow DACA recipients with a work permit set to expire before March 5, 2018, the opportunity to apply for a two-year renewal.
What happens next?
The administration is giving Congress six months to come up with a fix before the federal government officially stops renewing permits for current DACA recipients.
The administration is giving Congress six months to come up with a fix before the federal government officially stops renewing permits for current DACA recipients.
Why should Indians care?
