DACA was established in 2012, and since that year it has provided thousands of opportunities for young dreamers to enter the world of work legally.
According to a study conducted by the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) earn salaries up to three times higher than other immigrants.
The study was conducted by Richard Jones, a professor in the Department of Political Science and Geography at the UTSA College of Liberals and Fine Arts. Jones drew on data from the US Census Bureau, and was able to make a comparison between DACA recipients and immigrants who did not qualify for the program.
The Study was published in the September issue of the magazine Social Science Quaterly. Which showed that immigrants who have DACA protection perceive higher economic gains compared to earnings of dreamers who are not beneficiaries. "Across all indicators, the measurable gains in socioeconomic factors for DACA recipients were two to three times greater than for Dreamers during the same time period," explains the UTSA.
Income for DACA recipients more than doubled in just four years, averaging $ 7,627 to $ 18,229. In addition, the annual income of DACA recipients with a college degree exceeded $ 30,000 USD, and non-recipients with a college degree saw a decrease of more than $ 4,500 USD in their average annual salary. "In other words, a bachelor's degree was valuable to DACA recipients, but it was actually detrimental to Dreamers," Jones said.
Other points to highlight are the increase in the university enrollment of immigrants thanks to DACA and not only the enrollment but the completion of their studies. The study found that the number of DACA recipients with bachelor's degrees tripled from 2012 to 2016. This means that half of DACA recipients have a college education.
“It will be a sham if these benefits are frustrated due to the continuing political polarization that has prevented the approval of the Dream Act by Congress, or the passage of state and local laws that allow Dreamers and ‘DACAmented’ improve their human capital, ”Jones concluded.
