Retos y avances de DACA tras su décimo aniversario

Challenges and progress of DACA after its tenth anniversary

July 1, 2022

On June 15, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program celebrated ten years since its implementation by then President Barack Obama.

DACA is an immigration policy announced in June 2012 by the United States government, it is a presidential memorandum, so it did not require approval in Congress. This after in 2010 they failed to pass the DREAM Act in 2010, so DACA was created by the US government as a temporary solution for Dreamers.

This policy allowed some immigrants who were brought to the United States illegally as children to receive a permit to be protected from deportation and also be eligible for employment authorization.

The US government sought in 2014 to expand this program to cover more undocumented immigrants, however, it was not possible due to a blockade by several states, which influenced the decision of the Supreme Court.

In its first ten years, DACA has benefited more than 825,000 undocumented youth, who in addition to being protected from deportation, has allowed their legal access to the labor market, as well as other additional benefits such as access to academic scholarships, better salaries , among others.

For example, it has allowed thousands of undocumented students to gain access to private scholarships nationwide, as well as state scholarships. Another great benefit has been that thousands of young immigrants have remained protected from being deported, with the opportunity to lead a normal life. without the risk of being separated from the only country they know.

Although DACA is only a temporary solution to a larger problem, Dreamers and pro-immigrant organizations are pressing Congress to create a path to citizenship for millions of Dreamers and undocumented immigrants. That, in addition, is part of the agenda of President Joe Biden since he took office.

Organizations like Immigrants Rising advocate for a broader solution that includes more undocumented immigrants. Currently eligible Dreamers to access DACA must be at least 15 years old at the time of applying, and have been under 31 years of age on June 15, 2012.

“The program itself was not flexible and continued to leave the door closed for many undocumented immigrants. Beyond those who were lost due to the arbitrary age limit, we now have a whole generation of young people who have never qualified for DACA, ”explains the organization.

Currently, since July 2021 DACA has been suspended following a ruling by a federal judge in Texas. In this sense, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) cannot accept new DACA requests, however, current DACA beneficiaries can renew their permit every two years, as appropriate.