Background

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is an immigration policy that allows some undocumented immigrants, who were brought to the United States as children, to receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation and to be eligible for an employment authorization document (work permit) in the U.S.

President Barack Obama announced DACA on June 15, 2012, and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) began accepting applications for the program on August 15, 2012. In September 2017, the Trump administration announced a plan to phase out DACA. Three U.S. district courts ordered an injunction preventing the phase-out of DACA on the likelihood that rescinding it was arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act. On June 18, 2020, the Supreme Court upheld these injunctions but did not rule on the legality of DACA.

On July  16, 2021 a U.S. district court judge ruled that DACA violated the law and barred the government from accepting new applications to the program; however, current recipients can keep their status and submit renewals while the case goes through the appeals process. On October 5, 2022, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed that DACA is unlawful.

Since 2012, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) has provided temporary relief from deportation and the ability to get work authorization to more than 825,0000 undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children. The ruling from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals threatens to upend their lives.

DACA recipients have spent more than 15 years in the United States, so this is truly their home. Their families are here—more than 1.3 million people live with a DACA recipient, including more than 300,000 U.S.-born children who have at least one parent with DACA. They are an important part of their communities—nearly 80% of DACA recipients are employed, and about half are in jobs deemed essential, including healthcare, education and childcare, and food production and processing. They helped to keep our country functioning during the pandemic. Finally, they make major contributions to the economy each year—DACA recipient households pay $6.2 billion in federal taxes, $3.3 billion in state and local taxes, and, after taxes, have $25.3 billion in spending power.

Many polls show a strong majority of registered voters (nearly 70% in some polls)^1. favor a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Only Congress can provide permanent security for DACA recipients. It is time for Congress to step up and pass the bipartisan Dream and Promise Act.^2. now.

Related Links & Coverage

1. American support strong for immigrants’ path to citizenship – Baptist News Global

2. H.R.6 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): American Dream and Promise Act of 2021 | Congress.gov | Library of Congress